Volusia County provides Daytona Beach News-Journal compensation figures on retiring County Manager Jim Dinneen's exit; Headline Surfer excluded from the public information

By HENRY FREDERICK
Headline Surfer

DELAND, Fla. -- Volusia County government provided the Daytona Beach News-Journal with compensation figures late this afternoon on the total cost of County Manager Jim Dinneen's exit but excluded Headline Surfer from the public information despite requesting it in writing.

Headline Surfer protested in writing to senior county officials and elected leaders but has gotten no response.

The News-Journal reported in a story online at 5:44 p.m. headlined Volusia County’s Jim Dinneen to get payout of $405,695, was given the compensation county officials said Dinneen was entitled to with his sudden retirement approved by the County Council in an intense meeting Tuesday.

The News-Journal reported in part, "Upon his resignation Friday, Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen will walk away with a payout of $405,695. That figure, released late Wednesday by the county, factors in severance pay of $249,047 guaranteed in his contract as well as unpaid time and benefits totaling $156,648."

Headline Surfer put into writing its request for the same information in an email at 2:34 p.m. The Headline Surfer email was acknowledged by county officials 5 minutes later at 2:39 p.m. But no information on Dinneen's compensation was provided to Headline Surfer. Only the News-Journal had the information needed to post a news story.

The initial request was emailed by Headline Surfer and addressed to county public information officials Joanne Magley and Shelley Szafraniec. It was copied to County Attorney Dan Eckert, Deputy County Manager Donna Depeyster, Personnel Director Tom Motes, Dinneen, Dinnen's assistant Marja Kolomyski, Deputy County Manager George Recktenwald (Dinneen's successor as an interim), and elected county leaders Ed Kelley (chair), Joyce Cusack (at-large), and council members Deb Denys, Pat Patterson, Heather Post and Billie Wheeler.

Five minutes later the email was acknowledged by Sziefraniec in an email to Headline Surfer, which Florida public records law requires.