The Florida Elections Commission on Tuesday appealed a judge’s decision finding Martin County Commissioner Susan Valliere and her husband, Jim, guilty of just three out of more than 100 counts of campaign finance violations.

State administrative law judge Robert Meale in July found Susan Valliere guilty of two violations and Jim Valliere of one violation stemming from Susan Valliere’s 2006 primary re-election campaign.

Meale, who ordered the Vallieres to pay a total of $3,000 in fines, found them not guilty of 108 other counts filed by state elections officials, who alleged that the couple had coordinated campaign activities and violated campaign contribution limits.

Martin County Commissioner Susan Valliere and her husband, Jim, were found guilty Wednesday of several campaign finance violations, but the majority of the charges against the couple were dismissed by an administrative law judge.

Susan Valliere was found guilty of two counts and fined $2,000. Jim Valliere was found guilty of one count and fined $1,000.

State Administrative Law Judge Robert Meale, who heard the case in February, dismissed 108 other counts leveled against the couple; 28 of the original counts were against Susan Valliere, while Jim Valliere faced 83 counts.

Read the final order here.

The Vallieres couldn’t be reached for comment today.

The Florida Elections Commission case against the Vallieres stemmed from Susan Valliere’s primary re-election campaign in 2006 in which Jim Valliere acted as her campaign treasurer while also running a political action committee that supported her re-election.

The couple was accused of coordinating campaign activities and violating contribution limits. (more…)

STUART — Martin County Commissioner Ed Ciampi said he wants County Administrator Duncan Ballantyne to resign on Tuesday to start a makeover of the county government.

“I asked Duncan for his resignation,” Ciampi said. “I think that we need change in our organization and I feel that change starts at the top. I want to get started right away.”

But Ballantyne’s fate remains uncertain because the four other commissioners said they did not want to immediately commit to keeping or firing him. (more…)

STUART — It’s up to Stuart commissioners to decide if they want to negotiate with Martin County commissioners to merge the city and county fire rescue services.

The Martin County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to endorse a merger proposal that would save the typical homeowner in unincorporated sections of the county $25 per year, but would cost the typical homeowner in Stuart $58 more annually. (more…)