LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County commission is narrowing down the list of candidates for the new Children Services Council next week.
The board will help make decisions on how to help kids in the community achieve success in and out of the classroom. 52 people applied for the job, ranging from community leaders to experts. On the 26, commissioners will bring the list down to fifteen then send it to the governor to pick five people from there.
ABC 27 spoke to two candidates about why they should be chosen. Apalachee Center CEO Dr. Jay Reeve said he believes with his experience in mental health his expertise could be utilized.
"I'm in a lot of communication with other community leadership but I think what I bring to the table the most is my content expertise around children's mental health," said Reeve.
Others, like Bill Schack, said he applied because he believes he'll be able to provide an insight that others who supported the council fully in the past wouldn't think of.
"As someone who was against the Children Service's Council, what better than to have someone on there to maybe give a little more oversight and maybe be convinced that some of these things so I think that's a great way to balance that," said Schack.
The new council was heavily debated before approval because property owners will pay a new tax. It's equivalent to $42 for every $100,00 in property. Many also argued that there could be a better use to taxpayer dollars. It was approved with 66 percent in November.
By state law, the other five mandatory members on the council are a county commissioner, a school board member, LCS Superintendent Rocky Hanna, a representative from the Department of Children and Families and a judge assigned to juvenile cases.
Leon County is the tenth county in the state to enact a CSC.
