ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Krista Joseph, who represents District 4, has been ousted from her position as chair of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners just two weeks after securing reelection.

In a session held on Tuesday, the board decided in a 3-2 vote to remove Joseph from her chair position and appoint Clay Murphy, from District 3, as the new chair. Vice Chair Ann Taylor, who had been appointed only two weeks prior, stood by Joseph in opposing the decision.

The board’s leadership positions are typically voted on annually, or whenever deemed necessary by its members. The special meeting to determine leadership had taken place on November 18, leading to Joseph’s reelection.

Murphy proposed the motion to unseat Joseph, a move that was not listed on the meeting’s agenda, near the conclusion of Tuesday’s session.

The commissioner addressed allegations Joseph waged against him during the special leadership election meeting, claiming he skipped ethics training. He said the allegation was “categorically false,” and that he verified with counsel that he was in compliance with all training requirements. The two had also argued because he refused to support Taylor as vice chair. 

“I’m sorry that I was unprepared for the nasty attack, the quid pro quo, preschool reaction by the chair … I never imagined that I would have to face attack from my colleague,” said Murphy.

He said the county has lacked ‘true leadership” under now-former Chair Krista Joseph, and needs a change to make sure it can handle state and federal changes, including the potential loss of funding from property taxes. He said he regrets supporting Joseph for her first term as chair in 2024.

“When the mistake came as they inevitably do, I protected her, allowing her to show what kind of a leader I hoped she’d become. Even when the cause to remove her came, she deserved that chance.”

Prior to the vote, Joseph called Murphy’s actions a “temper tantrum,” and alluded to additional alleged wrongdoing by him.

“There’s other instances about Clay Murphy before he took the office, considering a white envelope on a developer’s desk, that I have not made public,” said Joseph. “But I have turned this in to the FBI.”

Still, she said she would accept the outcome of the vote.

“If you guys don’t want me to be chair, I’m fine. I mean, I’m working hard for you and I love my job,” said Joseph. “I’ll do it if I have to do it. And I’m an honest person.”

Commissioner Christian Whitehurst was the person to second the motion for the vote, saying it wasn’t due to any shortfall on Joseph’s part, but his opinion that the vice chair should ascend to chair, as is normally the case.