Taxpayers pay for state and local government services, and a question that pops up periodically is whether residents of Tallahassee and Leon County need two local governments.
The total population of Leon County is around 300,000, and Tallahassee makes up approximately 210,000 of that.
Do we need a police department and a sheriff’s office? Do we need city and county commissions?
According to state data, Leon is the 23rd most populous of Florida’s 67 counties, and Tallahassee is considered a mid-sized city. So, we’re not tiny, and having two governments seems to make sense – unless you’re a voter who thinks otherwise.
We’re talking about this because the Leon County Commission is putting a straw poll on the November ballot. This is a nonbinding referendum, where voters get to say if they think local leaders should pursue a consolidation of Tallahassee and Leon County governments.
The specific question here is whether voters want a single government structure under Leon County leadership.
That’s the topic of today’s Speaking Of.
Voters will simply offer their opinion. Then, as County Administrator Vince Long recently explained, a lot would have to happen afterward to make this change.
“The state constitution requires a consolidation plan to be approved by a special act of the legislature and then approved by the electors in a subsequent referendum,” Long told commissioners at this month’s commission meeting. “The straw ballot, however, can be used by the board to gauge voter sentiment and to inform the board of any future decisions you’d like to make.”
If voters support this idea, the move would require the Florida Legislature to pass a bill creating a path for consolidation. Then, it would go back on the ballot for voters to make a formal decision about whether to proceed.
This idea is not new, but it’s being talked about now because of a dispute between the city and county over the fire service fee. A lawsuit over the constitutionality of this fee has been filed. It has to do with how the fee is collected, but there are much broader issues.
The fee is about $20 month. It shows up on City of Tallahassee utility bills, and county residents who aren’t on city utilities pay the fee through their tax bill. It funds the Tallahassee Fire Department, and since the county doesn’t have its own fire department, the City provides those services.
During a discussion about the fire fee issue last November, county commissioners were talking about the possibility of taking over fire services for county residents, which led to Commissioner Christian Caban suggesting they should just consider full-blown consolidation of governments.
The commission voted to have staff look into the possibility of a merger, which they did, and commissioners talked about the results in December.
The outcome of a merger could be better government efficiency and coordination of services. On the downside, significant administrative challenges are possible during the changeover, and the potential cost savings are not known.
Ultimately, much is unknown about how it would all work.
Concerns have also been raised about state government being involved.
At this month’s commission meeting, Commissioner Bill Proctor made a motion for the straw poll. Option 1 would ask voters if they want consolidation. Option 2, which was the winner, asks voters if they want consolidation under Leon County governance.
For analysis of the possible impacts of government consolidation, we hear from Michael Holmes, professor of strategic management at FSU’s College of Business.
“It's really the details that matter," Holmes says. "What are the adjustment costs? What about closing certain government buildings that are now duplicated?...What about redundant employees?"
Click LISTEN above to hear the entire conversation.
