The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Gary Pinner, 58, of 431 SE 552ND Street, Old Town on one count of official misconduct. Pinner is charged with misusing city employees, city equipment, city inventory, and an inmate work crew to provide free water services to certain Dixie County residents, including his future son-in-law.
The FDLE investigation determined that on three separate occasions, Pinner, in his official role as Cross City City Manager, instructed Water Department employees to perform work on private properties utilizing city resources outside and beyond the scope of their job related duties.
Over the past several months, Pinner instructed two Cross City Water Department employees to install a water line (beyond the water meter) to his daughter and future son-in-law’s residence (hundreds of feet through a livestock/horse pasture) utilizing city owned equipment (trenching machine), city owned supplies (PVC pipe), and a state inmate work crew (helped remove roots and other obstructions from the trench and laid the PVC pipe in the ground). Within the last two years, Pinner also instructed city employees to install water lines to two other residences, using city labor. In addition, he allowed at least three city water customers to maintain excessive unpaid account balances for extended periods of time without having their water service terminated.
The investigation has not revealed any other criminal wrongdoing, other than the actions of Pinner.
Pinner was arrested today and transported to the Dixie County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit.