HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - Recommendations to the Orange County Charter
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RESOLUTION
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The Ocoee City Commission wishes to commend the Orange County Charter
Commission for the thoroughness and logic of the proposed charter, and to
thank the individual members of the Commission for their dedication and sacri-
fice in serving the prop Ie of Orange County in this capacity.
The Ocoee City Commission, while endorsing the proposed charter in
principle and, for the most part in detail, offers comment and recommends
further consideration of the following points:
ARTICLE II LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: COUNTY COMlv'IISSION
Section 201. Composition
Agree with election of commissioners by districts, and if 8 is the most
workable number of districts based on population distribution, agree with that
number. We believe, however, that 11 is too many for a productive county
commission and recommend only 1, the chairman, be elected at large.
Section 203. Terms of Office
Recommend all commissioners be elected for four-year terms and be limited
to two consecutive full terms, except that a two-term district commissioner
could be elected chairman. We believe that the scope and complexity of a
county commissioner's duties justify more than a two year term, and that both
candidates and voters should be spared the expense of too-frequent elections.
Section 204. Compensation
We realize that the compensation rates stated are an attempt to recognize
that county commissioner is a part-time, purely legislative position, but the
amounts proposed appear too low to attract the caliber of individual we'd like
to see govern the county. Recommend compensation of $11,000 per year for
district commissioners and $15,000 per year for the chairman elected at large.
This would total only slightly more than is now paid to 5 commissioners.
ARTICLE IV ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH: ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION
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Agree with and support the departmental organization and consolidations
described, particularly the requirement for Unified Administrative Services
(Section 402) and the creation of a Department of Finance (Section 405).
ARTICLE VI FINANCIAL PROCEDURES
Section 604. Required Audit
Disagree strongly with the stipulation that the required annual audit be
conducted within twelve (12) month~ 01 the end of the fiscal year. To be of
value in correcting improper procedures and expendi tures., an audi t should be
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made as soon as possible following the close of the fiscal period. Recommend
the wording be changed to: "... within three (3) months of the end of the
fiscal year
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Two other areas of concern invite inquiry because of their omission
from mention in the proposed charter: fire protection and the school system.
We are aware that the School Board has taxing and condemnation authority,
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among other prerogatives, but it is a county level function and does rely
upon the administrative functions described in the proposed charter for
collection of their millage and other services. It would appear that a
description of the relationship and interdependence of county government
and the School Board should be included in a new county charter and in a
comparable document governing the activities and powers of the School
Board.
The problem of fire protection is even more conspicuous by lack of
acknowledgment in the proposed charter. The county is irregularly covered
by fire districts and municipal fire departments, but a significant number
of county residents are without real fire protection. It would appear to
be a responsibility of county government, and an appropriate subject for a
new county charter, to address this problem and to include the position of
fire protection in the proposed county charter. If a county charter can-
not transcend the present arrangement due to legislative restrictions, we
suggest that recommendations from the Charter Commission in some form
would be appropriate.
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