DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County Commission will consider adding a non-binding initiative to the November ballot asking residents whether they support consolidating city and county governments. Commissioners will have two resolutions to consider — one that consolidates under the Leon County government structure and leadership, and one that is structurally neutral.
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Commissioner Bill Proctor said he supports consolidation as a way to streamline services and give residents who pay for utilites run by the City, who live outside City limits ,a voice in City elections.
"My constituents don't fully know why they don't get to vote," Proctor said.
Proctor said affordability is also a factor worth examining as part of the broader conversation.
"So affordability ought to be an issue that we take a closer look at. But as for now, the issue that will be before the county commission is non-binding. We simply want to know where the people are," Proctor said.
Consolidation has not received unanimous support from Commissioners in the past.
Commissioner David O'Keefe has been among those who have dissented on the issue. He said he hears concerns from residents in his District.
"I continue to hear from people in the unincorporated area who don't want to become part of the city. And they're concerned if we consolidate, are they all of a sudden annexed into the city?" O'Keefe said.
O'Keefe said he wants to resolve existing tensions between city and county government before consolidation is seriously considered.
"When you're bringing two governments with 200 years of history and organizational structure, they don't all match. And right now, we aren't even agreeing on the fire agreement. We are barely agreeing on who mows the lawn at different parts of the landscaping needs on our local roads and highways," O'Keefe said.
If the initiative does make it onto the ballot, it would be non-binding — meaning it would only be used to gauge public opinion, not enact any changes.
Professor Sam Staley, Director of the DeVoe Moore Institute at Florida State University, said from an Economic and Political Economy perspective, it's hard to turn the public when there's significant opposition against a particular issue. Staley said the issue needs at least 50% voter support to start a conversation and should be approached with skepticism.
"That doesn't mean skepticism that's going to sink the process, but skepticism that making sure we're asking the right questions, we're getting the right data, and there's enough transparency in the process that we can make the political argument, but we can also make the practical argument for why it works or why it doesn't," Staley said.
The Commission will take action on this item at Tuesday's Commission meeting beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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