The 40 initiatives that the Leon County Commissioners will tackle over the next five-years were outlined by them. This jump-starts their 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The goals they set at their annual retreat this year focus on economic development and the environment, quality life, and governance.
Vince Long, County Administrator, acknowledged the difficulties in achieving such lofty goals but stated that the county was committed towards bringing them to fruition. The board will vote on the ideas developed at the annual retreat.
Here’s a breakdown on where the county is heading.Full retreat materials, with goals for the next five-year, You can find it here
Economic development
The county will push for its goal to grow the local tourism industry to $5 billion. The county is also exploring ways to leverage its $1 trillion federal infrastructure dollars, fostering research and businesses in magnetic technology and public infrastructure investment.
Roll call: Tallahassee-based technology companies
Nick Maddox, Leon County Commissioner, asked for an increase in the target percentages of Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprise from 20% to 30%.
Cristina Paredes, Director of Office of Economic Vitality, stated to commissioners that there are many opportunities for these organizations through the creation of an analyst post and fellowship to assist businesses with digitization.
She said that the goal is to offer true economic assistance to these companies.
The county wants to connect 7,000 students with jobs through workforce training through the Office of Economic Vitality. However, there are concerns that there may not be enough funding to bolster the programing or attract enough job opportunities to meet the goal. This is due to allocations from the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency.
OEV has been successful in attracting both small and large employers over the years through incentives.
Back story
The IA, consisting of all 12 county and municipal commissioners, will vote on a bonding structure to fund a variety of projects. This includes one that requires $20 million in funding from OEVs budgets for football stadium repairs at Florida State University. The total project cost rises to nearly $27million with the bonding.
Kristin Dozier, County Commissioner, was a vocal critic of the sales tax funding for the stadium repair project. However, I do believe that we will not be capable of achieving these goals, as well as those in the Strategic Plan, if OEV funding is not available through 2028. I will look at these goals after the IA vote and see if they are achievable.
Environment
Due to anticipated funding, the county is increasing its commitment for the removal or upgrading of septic tank along the southern border where water-quality affects the health and well-being of the Wakulla Springs Basin.
The goal is to replace or upgrade 500 tanks in the Primary Springs Protection Zone within the next five years. The county met its goal by removing or upgrading 610 of its septic systems during its last five year plan.
Alan Rosenzweig, Deputy County Administrator, stated that the county should receive approximately $36 million in local sales taxes and state grant funding to address septic tank issues over the next five-years.
Quality of Life
The county set a goal for supporting organizations to redirect 100 people experiencing chronic homelessness into permanent supportive accommodation, which is approximately half of the population identified by the 2021 Point-in-Time count.
However, commissioners also added their own initiatives to improve quality of life.
Commissioner Rick Minor requested that the work being done to revive the North Monroe Street corridor and strengthen partnerships between the County Commission, Second Harvest of the Big Bend, be included in the five-year plan. This would address hunger at the local level.
He also requested that efforts to raise awareness in the community about child abuse, human traficking, and violence be made a priority through a partnership between the Leon County Sheriffs Office.
Brian Welch, County Commissioner of Leon County, directed staff members to search for federal infrastructure funds that could help rural broadband internet be brought to unincorporated Leon County.
He also requested that a dedicated group be formed to clean up roadside litter throughout the county.
Follow the money County will decide whether to create a North Monroe task force and $1 million for LeMoyne Arts.
And: Florida lawmakers plan to spend federal broadband money
Commissioner Jimbo Jackson requested that the county continue to research and negotiate the purchase of Fort Braden Community Center, and the adjoining land, currently owned by the Leon County Schools Board.
Bill Proctor, Chairman of the Commission, urged county staff to support updating and expanding the Comprehensive Plan to include an annexation to a number of neighborhoods that make up eight voting precincts into the city.
Proctor claimed that residents in the area pay their city utilities, but are unable to vote in the city elections, amounts to taxation.
Governance
The county continues to pursue a goal set in the previous strategic plan. It is seeking 600 citizen ideas, improvements and solutions. The county is expected to conduct a series o listening sessions and surveys to solicit ideas from citizens-led groups.
Commissioners requested that ideas from the youth of the county be considered for the work.
Long explained to commissioners that we recognize that these ambitious goals will be difficult to achieve. These ambitious goals will require us to find new opportunities, new ideas, and new partnerships to achieve them.
Contact Karl Etters at [email protected] or @KarlEtters on Twitter.
Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat and never miss a story.
This article first appeared on Tallahassee Democrat Leon County’s 5-year plan will focus on quality of life, environment, and jobs
