Standing Committees To Face Important Issues

Now that county commissioners have created standing committees to focus on the major issues of the day, just what are those issues?

County Administrator David Hamilton has come up with a suggested list of topics each individual standing committee could be involved in. County commissioners will discuss them at their Tuesday business meeting.

There are two committees: one that will address budget-finance, the other business-economic development.

The committees will consist of two county commissioners and three citizens. Commissioner Rose Rocco will chair the budget committee and Commissioner John Druzbick will chair the economic development committee.

A citizen appointee would serve as vice chair on a rotating basis and would be elected by the entire committee.

All final decision-making authority will remain with county commissioners and will be based on the committees' recommendations.

Here are the topics each committee may be involved in:

Budget and Finance Committee:

•Consider lists of proposed items to purchase $100,000 prior to requests for bids being issued by the county.

•Receive quarterly reports on the current budget and recommend adjustments.

•Review and recommend capital plan expenditures.

•Make recommendations on the annual budget and millage guidelines before the county prepares the budget.

•Review the budget during its preparation.

•Recommend a final draft budget to county commissioners.

•Receive and recommend audit projects by selected departments.

•Review audits.

•Review annual audited statements.

Business and Economic Development Committee:

•Consider proposals for development policies and procedures.

•Review ordinances that relate to development.

•Consider infrastructure and capital initiatives that would attract business to Hernando County

•Review and recommend impact fee amendments.

•Make recommendations on targeted economic development industries.

•Review marketing and promotional activities.

•Consider transportation and other infrastructure plans for emerging business needs.

Government staffers' role in all of this will be to support the committees by preparing agendas and backup materials and providing information and recommendations at the meetings.

"Committee members have the same right as other citizens to discuss issues with staff outside of the meetings, but no other rights or authority," according to Hamilton.

So which citizens will get on the committees?

Preference will be given to community members based on the following criteria:

For budget and finance, volunteers should have a background in accounting, banking or finance, education and senior management.

For business and economic development, participants should have a background in business (past or current), commercial-industrial, education, marketing-promotion and transportation-logistics.