TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Commissioner Jack Porter released a memo detailing a meeting she had with FSU President Rick McCullough that left her feeling \u201cunsettled.\u201d <\/p>\n
McCullough, who initiated the meeting with Porter, \u201cwanted to be upfront about his intent to \u2018indoctrinate\u2019 the commissioner, the commissioner wrote.<\/p>\n
According to the memo, Porter assumed McCullough was talking about FSU\u2019s purchase of TMH. <\/p>\n
During the meeting, Porter said they discussed the proposed merger and McCullough\u2019s belief that FSU was \u201cbest positioned to advance health care in the region.\u201d <\/p>\n
Porter said McCullough mentioned watching some of her prior campaign videos and suggested that both Porter and FSU had faced opposition from the \u201cTallahassee elite.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the memo, Porter said she agreed that the TMH Board, which McCullough aligned with the \u201cTallahassee elite,\u201d had supported her political opponents before and that FSU Boosters had as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cI emphasized that these factors have never influenced my decision-making. I made clear that my position on the TMH-FSU hospital proposal stems from a genuine concern for the public interest, not from any bias toward or against FSU or TMH,\u201d Porter said in the memo.<\/p>\n
Porter detailed that McCullough told her the Boosters\u2019 support can \u201call change\u201d and that \u201cthey\u2019ll support whomever I tell them to\u2014they\u2019ll support whoever supports FSU.”<\/p>\n
She said she was \u201ctaken aback\u201d by the statement and believed it implied if she were to support the deal, McCullough could influence the Boosters to provide support for her in the future.<\/p>\n
The memo also claims McCullough offered to get Porter basketball tickets \u201cthe legal way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Porter\u2019s memo ended with her stating she has not decided how she will vote on the sale of the hospital. \u201cAs always, my votes are guided by what I believe is in the public interest\u2014not by any personal benefit\u2014and informed by the feedback we receive from the community.”<\/p>\n
You can read Commissioner Porter\u2019s full memo below: <\/p>\n
McCullough provided a statement on the October meeting saying he is \u201csurprised and disappointed\u201d at how the memo detailed the meeting and that he remembers the conversation \u201cvery differently and not nearly as politically nefarious as [Porter] portrays.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m surprised and disappointed to hear this version of events because I recall my conversation with Commissioner Porter very differently and not nearly as politically nefarious as she portrays. The commissioner correctly stated that I would never attempt to improperly influence an elected official. Throughout my presidency, I have championed key community issues including improved healthcare. I have engaged with every commissioner to understand their goals. That\u2019s why I invited Commissioner Porter to meet with me. I wanted to gain an understanding of her opposition to advancing healthcare in Tallahassee when the overwhelming majority of city residents are in favor of it.<\/p>\n
I have attempted to build productive and civil working relationships with all the commissioners. Commissioner Porter\u2019s mischaracterization and attempted distraction demonstrates yet again why the Tallahassee City Commission remains so deeply divided. She has failed to support the vision and initiatives the community expects for the future of Tallahassee.<\/p>\n
Even when Commissioner Porter asked for my support for refugees and questioned why FSU doesn\u2019t support her politically, she chose to interpret my words cynically and attribute them to non-existent ulterior motives.<\/p>\n
As president, I will continue to work productively with the City of Tallahassee, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, and with anyone who joins Florida State University in the goal of improving access to high-quality healthcare.<\/p>\n
City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow says the memo feels like \u201cgroundhogs day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me as an elected official, I really need to know who stands to gain from this deal, what people have been promised, whether it\u2019s career opportunities or other types of compensation. I think that\u2019s worrisome,\u201d Matlow said.<\/p>\n
He added he has more questions now than when the MOU between TMH and FSU was first announced.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re a few months into this process and we have more questions now than ever before,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were allegations of offers of basketball game tickets and all sorts of other things<\/p>\n
The details of Porter\u2019s meeting with McCullough come on the heels of a renewed effort to convince Tallahassee City Commissioners to press pause on a proposed deal to sell the city\u2019s hospital to Florida State University.<\/a><\/p>\n Folks in Tallahassee may have woken up to a text on Monday morning from Tallahassee ALERT urging them to \u201cStop the TMH transfer.\u201d The organization has secured meetings with Mayor John Dailey, Commissioners Jack Porter, Jeremy Matlow and Diane Williams-Cox. <\/p>\n Commissioner Curtis Richardson has yet to agree to a meeting, the group said, but it remains a possibility.<\/p>\n \u201cCivic engagement is the cornerstone of local democracy. It doesn\u2019t work effectively or adequately without it. So we want to get people into the practice of attending,\u201d said Dr. Bruce Strouble, chair, Tallahassee ALERT.<\/p>\n The texts went out ahead of the commission\u2019s Wednesday meeting. While TMH is not on the agenda, Tallahassee ALERT said it\u2019s possible it comes up anyway during \u201ccommissioner time\u201d or a general comment period.<\/p>\n Those texts are the latest in a long-running saga regarding the city-owned hospital. Currently, the city acts as the landlord, leaving all operations at the hospital to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.<\/p>\n But after TMH brought up the idea of changing its lease to a second hospital, the city explored the idea of selling the hospital to an outside organization. <\/p>\n FSU said it would buy the hospital. After acrimonious negotiations, TMH and FSU agreed to a non-binding MOU<\/a> laying out who would have control of the new partnership and how it would work. City commissioners advanced the idea of a sale<\/a> 3-2, but said they wanted Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College to have a seat at the table.<\/a><\/p>\n That led to further negotiations that have not been finalized. While the city commission authorized the city manager to negotiate<\/a> a sale price, no price has been announced.<\/p>\n Proponents of the sale say creating \u201cFSU Health\u201d would improve healthcare in Tallahassee because the university can conduct research, bring in better doctors and fund the operation at a higher level.<\/p>\n Detractors argue the city should not sell its asset to FSU <\/a>because the university is ultimately controlled by the state government at the direction of the governor. Price and valuation also remain in dispute.<\/p>\n Matlow said he believes TMH signed the MOU under duress and that privately, folks there tell him they\u2019re against the partnership.<\/p>\n \u201cThe doctors I talk to don\u2019t want this, community members I talked to don\u2019t want this. The only people who seem to want it are power players at Florida State and in the Governor\u2019s mansion and Tallahassee shouldn\u2019t go down that path,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Tallahassee ALERT\u2019s \u201cStop the Transfer\u201d campaign includes infographics which argue the city would \u201close local control\u201d and that residents \u201cdeserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnce control is gone, it\u2019s gone forever,\u201d the campaign wrote. \u201cWe need to ensure that whatever happens to TMH, the needs of residents need to come first.\u201d<\/p>\n WCTV sought comment from each commissioner and the mayor on Monday after the robotexts went out. So far, only Commissioners Porter and Matlow have responded.<\/p>\n \u201cI have serious concerns about selling the hospital at this point, but I wholeheartedly support a partnership with FSU. And I think it\u2019s important for the public to know that an academic medical center does not require a sale of the hospital,\u201d said Porter. This statement came from an interview with Porter before WCTV learned about the memo.<\/p>\n We also sought comment from both FSU and TMH. TMH declined to comment on both the text campaign and Porter\u2019s memo.<\/p>\n The next city commission meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10. While the hospital is not on the agenda, residents are welcome to address the commission directly, usually for three minutes each.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n