The State of Florida Commission on Ethics recommended a public censure and civil penalty for a Gadsden County commissioner after they found he approved county contracts with a conflict of interest.Public documents show the commi ssion adopted a settlement agreement with a commission advocate and Gadsden County Commissioner Ronterious Green.Green serves district 5 on the county commission.This follows an investigation into contracts Green approved between his landlord and the county. The commission ordered a public hearing on the issue last summer.In the original complaint, Sherrie Taylor alleged in March of 2022, Green was paid $250 by the county for flower arrangements from his business, The Greenery Floral Tuxedo Place.Taylor is a former Gadsden County and City of Quincy commissioner.Green responded to the original complaint saying his business and the county did not exceed the $500 threshold under Florida law.The ethics commission found the contracts did present a conflict of interest. They recommended a public censure and reprimand for Green along with a civil penalty of $1,500.Green responded to the commission's decision on Facebook, saying in part: "After consulting with my attorney, I agreed to accept a fine that was originally set at $2,500 but was ultimately reduced to $1,500. With that matter resolved, I consider the issue closed. I want to be very clear: I have not done anything illegal, nor did I intentionally do anything wrong. No laws were broken, and there was never any intent to violate any rules or policies. The matter stemmed from my failure to refrain from voting on a consent agenda item that involved my landlord. It is important to note that my landlord had been receiving contracts with the county for approximately ten years before I was ever elected to serve on this board. I also want to make it clear that the vote on this item passed unanimously by a 50 vote of the board. Even if I had refrained from voting, the outcome would have been the same and the contractor still would have received the contract."Green also mentioned Taylor in the post, saying "Thank you former Commissioner Sherrie Taylor, you know this process and you were well aware I did nothing wrong."Documents show the ethics commission is currently investigating complaints against other political leaders in Gadsden County for "legal sufficiency."The investigations include: Quincy Mayor Beverly Nash (2) City Manager Richard Ash City Finance Director Georgette Daniels City Commissioner Devonta Knight Quincy Police Lt. Scott Littlefield Gadsden County Commissioner Eric Hinson Quincy Mayor Pro Tem Lane Stephens Quincy Police Sergeant DeAnthony ShamarWant to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less