A county employee in Florida was "terminated" while out on approved disability under the care of several doctors who had kept the county updated on when she could return to work, which was not until possibly October, 2020. Instead the Growth Management Director (Acting) terminated her on September 23, 2020 for “job abandonment”!. St. Johns County then used this false charge to withhold her vacation pay of $3,160.97 ! She is now permanently disabled, unable to return to work, on a fixed income less than half of her pay as a senior planner with a Masters in Architecture and 20 years of experience in the two fields. The Director was also aware of her previous heart attacks and the fact she is the sole caregiver for her 82 yr old mother.

Compare that to the same county’s treatment of a non-disabled employee, Michael Wanchik, who was fired for "loss of confidence," yet they voted to pay him over $161,000 in unused vacation pay, sick pay and severance pay.

Please sign this petition, and don’t let St. Johns County get away with this ... discrimination against this disabled woman senior who was a good employee and a team player.  

On February 22, Commissioner Blocker wrote of Del Rance “I spoke with the County Administrator and the County Attorney. Both said they were working evaluating her claims and making sure her compensation was properly paid.” Recent emails to him asking about the back pay she is owed have been ignored, as have emails to the other commissioners and County Administrator Hunter Conrad. 

Kim Del Rance was a good employee and deserves to be treated as such, not as a deadbeat worker who failed to show up, yet her pleas for her earned vacation pay continue to be ignored.

Tell St. Johns County to pay Kim Del Rance what she earned.  She fulfilled her end of the employment agreement as stated in the Administrative Code to be a good employee, now the County should fulfill their end and pay her the benefits she was promised when hired in 2014. 

Kim DelRance worked her life to finish school and loved her job, she is also a LEED AP for 15+ years and has 10+ in local government.

She also served 8+ years in the Dept of Navy civil service before during and after the Persian Gulf War with letters of Commendation, Appreciation, A President's Award, and other awards which earned a visit from the then US Vice President for the work of the unit she was in. She is a hard worker who deserves to be paid what she earned!