Sean Moylan has withdrawn his name from consideration for the job of Flagler County Attorney. The longtime deputy county attorney had the confidence of multiple county commissioners and the passionate endorsement of his superior, the retiring County Attorney Al Hadeed.
The reasoning for Moylan’s withdrawal was an effort to avoid creating division on the matter amongst the county commissioners. There had previously been debate on the dais about Moylan’s application, particularly as it related to his prospective role as interim county attorney.
Three commissioners (Kim Carney, Leann Pennington, and Pam Richardson) expressed varying degrees of concern that Moylan being made interim county attorney could discourage other applicants. They worried that Moylan having a de-facto job audition would give him an unfair leg up. Commission Chair Andy Dance resisted this notion, and Hadeed gave a lengthy and impassioned endorsement of Moylan’s qualifications during a meeting last month.
With Moylan out of the running, he can now serve as interim county attorney if need-be without any worry of affecting the application process. Hadeed is retiring on August 2nd.
The two remaining candidates for the job are Palm Bay Chief Deputy City Attorney Michael Rodriguez and former Deltona City Attorney Marsha Segal-George. They’re set to be interviewed by the commissioners on Tuesday, July 15th.
Sean Moylan’s Letter of Withdrawal
Good evening Commissioners,
Earlier today I notified Charlie that I was withdrawing my application to be the next Flagler County Attorney. You deserve to know why. In a nutshell, I did not want my candidacy or appointment to foster division on the commission.
The holiday weekend gave me extra time to carefully consider this decision. I came to the conclusion that the best thing for the County is for me to continue as the deputy to the attorney you ultimately choose. Rest assured, I will use my institutional knowledge to get the new attorney up to speed on the many issues facing the County. My goal in applying for the County Attorney position was to put the office in the best position possible. My goal in withdrawing my application is the same.
In addition, some of you expressed misgivings in appointing me Interim County Attorney when I was at the same time an applicant for the permanent position. The concern was the chilling effect such an arrangement may have on other applicants. That issue is now resolved. There could very well be a gap between the start of Al’s retirement and the time the new County Attorney can begin working for you. If that scenario pans out, I will be happy to step up as interim to ensure a seamless transition to the next permanent attorney. This is the duty of deputies.
In closing, I’m excited about our work ahead. I have worked for thirteen Flagler County Commissioners, and sometimes my job requires me to read Board minutes from decades ago. It has taught me this: the decisions you make in the coming months and years of your terms will have a lasting impact, beyond your actual terms of office and even in ways that are not now apparent. Tens of thousands of people voted for each of you. It’s not an easy job, but it is incredibly exciting.
Yours truly,
Sean S. Moylan
Deputy County Attorney
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
