Derek Barrs’ tenure on the Flagler County School Board might be coming to an end.
The full Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which is chaired by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and has Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell as its ranking member, will hear Barrs’ confirmation hearing to serve as the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at 10 a.m. on July 16.
Barrs stated this morning that he was excited about the chance to testify before the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee of the U.S. Senate. If verified, I’m excited to collaborate with them and the several other stakeholders to improve road safety. During Tuesday afternoon’s final School Board workshop, Barrs was informed of the schedule.
Barrs, 52, was appointed to the school board position on October 31 by Governor Ron DeSantis. Barrs was nominated by President Trump on March 11 for the position of safety administration. Barrs, the Associate Vice President of HNTB Corporation, spent several years in the Florida Highway Patrol’s Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, rising through the ranks and serving as its leader from 2017 until his retirement in 2020. Why the confirmation hearing wasn’t set for earlier is unclear.
Barrs lost by less than 300 votes to Janie Ruddy in the election held in November of last year for a school board seat. He was quickly named to the board, which was experiencing tremendous turmoil during those months when Sally Hunt left after serving less than two years of her term. Barrs immediately restored the board’s composure, sense of seriousness, and degree of cooperation. That might be at peril again if he leaves.
Reducing collisions, injuries, and fatalities involving big trucks and buses is the responsibility of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which was founded in 2000. The Safety Administration, for instance, has been developing a rule that would mandate speed-limiting devices for large vehicles. Last month, the Transportation Department and the administration retracted that proposal, claiming that the proposed rulemaking lacked a strong enough safety rationale. Additionally, a new pilot program will provide truck drivers greater freedom in how they balance their sleep and driving schedules.
More than 1,000 people are employed by the organization Barrs would lead across 50 states, but that figure is now in doubt after the Supreme Court this week gave the president the authority to fire government employees in bulk.
Barrs’ retirement will necessitate another governor appointment to the school board position if he is confirmed, which seems likely given that he has one year and four months remaining in his tenure before the 2026 election. Barrs, who lives in Flagler Beach, has stated that he will continue to keep his property in the area.
