TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - There's a major debate in Leon County over the idea of a children's services council.
Officials are asking: Should it be on the November ballot? A public hearing is set at the Leon County courthouse.
If this gets on the ballot and voters approve it, Leon County would have an independent council with the power to impose taxes to pay for children's services.
Some say this is a tax they'd vote for, but others say the county can find money it already has to meet these needs.
The Children's Services Council of Leon County could generate around $8 million, starting in Fiscal Year 2020.
"I would not want to see it on the ballot in November, and it goes down because of lack of accountability, diversity and a robust conversation," said Reverend R.B. Holmes, Jr., the pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. "So, where I stand, it is a great idea, but the timing this year may not be the right thing to do. We need to take our time, assess the needs and the concerns, and pull the total community together."
The council would have 10 members, including the superintendent of public schools, a county school board member, a county commissioner, as well as five people picked by the governor.
