Florida taxpayers paid nearly $153,000 for renovations to the reception area outside of Gov. Rick Scott’s office.
State officials say the changes, which include placing bulletproof material in the reception desk, were prompted by security concerns.
But the changes also included putting in new carpet in the waiting area. And they included placing Scott’s Office of Open Government behind a locked door that is accessible by employees only. That’s the office that is supposed to respond to public records requests.
Maggie Mickler, a spokeswoman for the Department of Management Services, said the renovations were ordered after the head of DMS requested a security review by law enforcement. She said one of the biggest changes was moving a desk to improve visibility and the line of sight.
Mickler said the carpet that was removed during construction was 13 years old.
Reprinted with the permission of the Associated Press
