New County Bosses Already Make Plans

Incoming County Commissioners James Adkins and John Druzbick say Thursday's three-and-a-half-hour orientation meeting will give them plenty of time to meet department heads and get up to speed on current issues.
It will also give department managers and the public an opportunity to get a closer look at them.
"I've been around a long time so I basically know the operations of the government and I know a lot of the players," said Adkins, 59, who retired as Brooksville fire chief in 1998.
Adkins says he plans to do a lot of listening Thursday.
"You learn more from listening than talking," he joked.
Adkins said he especially wants to learn more about County Administrator David Hamilton's recently unveiled reorganization plan and how it will affect managers and taxpayers.
"At first blush, I think it's good," he says. "But anytime you change an organization there is fear and animosity."
One of his first priorities as county commissioner, he said, will be to address the needs of business owners who have been crippled by rising taxes and the cumbersome permit process.
Druzbick, too, has been forming a list of priorities, some of which could come up Thursday.
Druzbick, 57, said he wants to form a business task force made up of mom and pop business owners, manufacturers and community members who would report to the board periodically about issues of concern.
It would allow county commissioners to get an "overall picture of what's happening in Hernando County to the business sector," Druzbick said.
Secondly, Druzbick will ask his colleagues to start having workshops, perhaps twice monthly, that would allow staffers to meet with board members about issues before they come up at voting meetings.
That way, he said, there are fewer surprises the day of the business meeting and commissioners are better prepared to vote.
Druzbick said that format worked well during his 12 years on the school board.
Finally, Druzbick said he wants to pursue cooperative buying with the county, the city of Brooksville and the school district.
He believes all three entities can save taxpayers money if they pool resources. The shared purchasing can cover big-ticket items such as fuel to simple things like plants, he said.
For example, government may be able to obtain plants from some of the school agricultural departments, he said.
Druzbick said he is looking forward to Thursday's orientation.
"It's going to give us a direct one-on-one as to what specific department heads are doing on a day-to-day basis," he said.
He is sure that some of those managers don't know what to expect from the new guys on the board.
"They've been used to working with the same five commissioners for five to eight years, and I'm sure that with any change there may be some questions," he said.
County Commissioner Rose Rocco said many managers have prepared presentations Thursday outlining the duties of their respective departments.
That should benefit incoming and established commissioners as well, she said.
The public is invited to attend the orientation session which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Recreation Department's Community Activity Center, 205 Fort Dade Ave. in Brooksville.
For more information, call 754-4002.