BRADENTON – In response to the continuing onslaught of public calls for Manatee County Commissioners to vote to strip Vanessa Baugh of her chair position for her role in Vaccinegate, a third bi-partisan effort to do so was undertaken at Tuesday's meeting. Once again, the motion fell short.

This time it was Commissioner Misty Servia (R-Dist 4) who made the motion, with Commissioner Carol Whitmore (R-Dist 6) seconding. Commissioner Reggie Bellamy (D-Dist 2) again gave his support but told the board that while his position hasn't changed, it remains clear that unless one of the commissioners standing with Baugh (commissioners Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, and George Kruse) changed their stance on the matter, the votes to hold Baugh accountable simply didn't exist.

None of those commissioners moved and the motion failed.

Baugh has drawn international criticism for unilaterally deciding to restrict the county's "random lottery" for COVID vaccination to just two zip codes in her district when she was asked by developer Rex Jensen for help in organizing a "pop up" vaccination clinic Governor Ron DeSantis was bringing to his company's master-planned community, Lakewood Ranch.

Baugh not only directed staff to modify the lottery–which was a violation of the board's approved vaccination policy as well as its policy and procedures, which prevent commissioners from directing county staff–but also created a "VIP list" that included herself, Jensen, Jensen's father and two of her friends who were to be jumped to the front of the line and vaccinated without being drawn from even the restricted lottery.

Baugh has ignored loud and enduring calls from the community to resign her seat and has been protected by allies on the board on votes to strip her of the chairmanship.

"We need to work together, and I'm going to start repeating that in every meeting," said Baugh when the vote failed. "We have got to work together ... We've got to move this county forward. That's why we were elected by our constituents."

A Disgrace of Epic Proportions