Campbell wants meeting that could include Matlow

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer

City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow and State Attorney Jack Campbell might be a bit closer to resolving their differences, which escalated into a public dust up.

Campbell confirmed in a text message last Sunday that he is willing to meet with “all leadership to discuss criminal justice issues.” However, Campbell wasn’t sure when such a meeting would take place.

Whenever it takes place, Campbell suggested that Matlow could be invited.

“I have no problem working with him,” Campbell said during an interview last Thursday. “He is an elected official in the city of Tallahassee and I’m ready to work.”

Even before Campbell’s expressed willingness to have a meeting, Matlow called for such a get together. Both men seemed to be on the same page, Matlow calling for measures to keep corruption out of local government, while Campbell wants to have more community engagement in solving crime.

Campbell said he couldn’t recall having an official meeting with Matlow, although the two have been engaged in a very public spat.

“Let’s have the honest conversation,” Matlow said during an interview last week. “I will tell you what I support and why I support it.”

The wrangling between the two men started after Matlow wrote a blistering commentary that called out the Greater Tallahassee Chamber for its backing of former city commissioner Scott Maddox when he ran for office. Matlow essentially called the meeting a gathering where leaders met for discussions that didn’t involve the best interests of the city.

The Chamber has since issued a censure of Matlow. At the same time, commissioner Jack Porter has been the only one of his peers to speak in his defense publically.

County Commissioner Bill Proctor also defended Matlow, calling on Campbell to retract his comments about the city commissioner. He also called for a meeting between the two men, which now seems likely.

Campbell, who was at the recent annual Chamber conference at Amelia Island, said he was there to speak on criminal justice issues facing the city. During his speech, Campbell used the term “pizza maker,” while referring to Matlow as someone who he wouldn’t take advice from.

But he did clear up his reference of “evil men” in his speech, saying it wasn’t about Matlow. Instead, Campbell said, he was using a Plato quote that says: “the price of apathy toward public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” 

He said the “evil men” reference is to the ones who commit crimes in the community, the struggle with the high crime rate and apathy that refers to people who don’t report crimes that they might have seen.

However, he went on to say that Matlow wasn’t the focal point of his speech, as much as it was about getting more “buy-in” from the community in solving crimes.

“My whole speech was; this is a community problem and I need all of us to get involved,” Campbell said, using the case of stolen guns used in committing crime as an example. He said many times guns used in crimes in the poor side of town often are stolen from unlocked vehicles in more affluent communities.

Obviously, still enraged over Marlow’s call for change in law enforcement and monitoring of relationships between business leaders and elected officials, Campbell said he’d like recommendations from the commissioner. Matlow has often referred to Maddox whose relationship with businessman J.T. Burnett led to Maddox’s removal from office after the two men were charged with public corruption.

Burnett was recently convicted.

“It confirms what many of us have known for a long time; that bribery and corruption have infiltrated our city government at the very top level at city hall and throughout our community,” Matlow said.

Matlow has been outspoken on a lot more than corruption. He was on the front line calling a review of Tallahassee Police Department’s use of force following the arrest of Jacquez Kirkland, who was beaten with a baton during his arrest on a DUI charge.

At an ensuring city commission meeting, Matlow brought up the policy issue during the sharing of ideas segment. He went head to head with TPD Chief Lawrence Revell about the policy, prompting a firm response from the chief.

“This was absolutely within policy and within state statute,” Revell told Matlow.

Matlow, who is up for re-election next fall, raised the temperature in City Hall midway through his term when he gave city manager Reese Goad, a less than favorable performance rating.

Responding to concerns that he is pushing a progressive agenda, Matlow said, “we welcome all agendas.”

He added: “Aside from individual policy positions, we have to be able to have honest conversations and make decisions that are good for everybody.”