SANTA ROSA BEACH — On the same day Walton County commissioners voted to accept the resignation of County Administrator Robert Halfhill, their attorney vowed to press on with an investigation into complaints made against him.
Interim County Attorney Mark Davis assured worried residents Tuesday that he was directing a follow-up investigation into four verbal complaints lodged against Halfhill during his month on the job.
“I’m choosing to go outside of a Human Resources Department investigation because the person being investigated is the boss of that department,” Davis said at the County Commission meeting.
He said all allegations, complaints and the names of the complainants will remain confidential until such time as the investigation is complete. A report will be provided to county commissioners at that time.
Halfhill announced his resignation April 2 and left the next day. He cited “continuing family medical problems” and declined to discuss the complaints lodged against him or whether he’d been asked to leave.
His first day on the job was March 1.
Bob Hudson, executive director of the Walton County Taxpayers Association, asked at Tuesday’s meeting that the investigation not be dropped.
“I do not believe just because that man resigned we can drop any kind of investigation into the charges that were made or allegations that were made, and it’s my sincere hope ya’ll have appointed or hired someone.”
Davis assured Hudson the county had done so.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.
