DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County Citizen Charter Review Committee voted 12-7 Thursday to recommend creating a new division of food services specifically targeting food insecurity management.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The policy recommendation calls for establishing the division under the county's Office of Human Services and Community Partnerships. The goal is to streamline collaboration among agencies tackling food insecurity while providing an annual report on the status of food security in the community.
Committee Member Barry Wilcox raised the substitute motion, noting the county already has similar specialized divisions.
"We have a division of housing services, we have a division of veteran systems under HSCP, having a division of food systems seems like a logical addition," Wilcox said.
The approved motion was actually a substitute for an original proposal by Committee Member Bruce Strouble, who had wanted to establish an Office of Food Systems in the County's Charter. If approved by the County Commission, that version would have appeared on the November ballot if passed.
Strouble emphasized the importance of addressing food insecurity as a root cause of other community issues.
"Hunger drives several of the other issues in our community," Strouble said. "It's our community affirming and stepping forth and putting the action and structure in place to address the issue."
While disappointed his original motion didn't advance, Strouble expressed support for the substitute version.
"I like the idea of creating that division of food systems and it gives us something to work with. I hope that we can work with the county to create that annual food plan and a report so that we can get an assessment of what our food system is functioning like," Strouble said.
Community members spoke during public comment about the need for better coordination of food assistance services.
"Too often I hear my students talk about how they strategize to have just enough food through the week," one community member said.
Another speaker emphasized the need for streamlined services, saying "centralized coordination and collaboration of these services is needed", with another neighbor adding "residents end up navigating confusion in times when they need clarity."
County officials noted they are already addressing food insecurity through various programs including food lockers and Farm Share partnerships, plus a dedicated staff position to help residents access resources.
Assistant County Administrator Shington Lamy described the current role, "which is dedicated to engaging and connecting those neighbors with available resources in the community, not just food, we're talking about housing and healthcare," Lamy said.
The substitute motion was designed to advance work on food insecurity. One of the biggest goals would be receiving an annual report on the status of food insecurity in Leon County.
The County Commission will review this policy recommendation at their next meeting in March.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
