Franklin County Commission rejects hiring Armstrong

County commissioners have rejected hiring a particular attorney to represent them in issues dealing with a central sewer on St. George Island. The board on Tuesday said they did not want to be represented by attorney Brian Armstrong because of the history he has in this county and the perception many people have of him. Armstrong is a utilities lawyer who represented the Lanark Village Water and Sewer district during a highly contentious period when many Lanark Village residents were seeking to have the district taken over by the city of Carrabelle. He works for a firm called Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson in Tallahassee which represents counties and municipalities in public utility issues. County attorney Michael Shuler had approached the firm to represent Franklin County before the Public Service Commission in relation to plans from the St. George Island Water company to build a central sewer in the commercial district of St. George Island – but on Tuesday he was told to find someone else. Commissioner Cheryl Sanders said she feels Armstrong would be the wrong man for the job, and in fact the county would rather not deal with the firm at all because of the potential that he may be brought in to do some of the work. County attorney Michael Shuler said he will begin the search for another utility counsel immediately.