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Charter Review Commission sets public hearing dates

Debra W. Buehn
Posted 5/2/18

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Wrapping up months of work, the Clay County Charter Review Commission decided at its April 24 meeting not to put the question to voters of whether the county manager’s …

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Charter Review Commission sets public hearing dates


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Wrapping up months of work, the Clay County Charter Review Commission decided at its April 24 meeting not to put the question to voters of whether the county manager’s position should be an elected post rather than the appointed post it currently is.

It also set the dates for the three public hearings it is required to have to let citizens speak to the two issues it is recommending be put on the November general ballot for a vote, and approved the language that would be used for those issues on the ballot.

The Charter Review Commission is appointed every four years to look at the county’s charter and determine if there are issues that need to be revised or amended. Any items the CRC suggests might need to be revised or amended must ultimately be put on the general ballot for a vote of the citizens of Clay County. The CRC has no power to actually change any part of the charter, but can only recommend items to be put before the voters for their approval or disapproval.

Clay County is one of 20 charter counties in the state, which means it is governed under what is called “home rule.” The other 47 counties are known as “constitutional” counties and are ruled by state statute.

Meeting since last October, the current CRC has approved two issues it will recommend to be put on the November ballot. One of the issues involves changing the term limits for county commissioners from the current two consecutive four-year terms, to three consecutive four-year terms. That proposal would also impose a lifetime term limit of three four-year terms for county commissioners. As it currently stands, a county commissioner could serve two four-year terms, take a break, then run for office again, and serve another two terms, repeating that action over and over.

The second issue basically involves raising county commissioner salaries incrementally to bring them more in line with most other county commissioners in the state.

Clay County commissioners’ salaries are currently much lower than most other commissioners in the state. Approval of this item by voters would bring the Clay commissioners’ salaries (over four budget years) to about 70 percent of the salaries set by general law in non-charter counties. That would put their salaries at about $51,580 instead of the $37,580 they currently earn.

Those two items will be put before voters at the three public hearings the CRC is required to have. Those meetings will be May 9, May 24 and June 13.

One item that won’t be put before voters is whether the county manager position should be an elected or appointed post. That item was brought up for discussion by CRC member Ronald Stotler. Stotler said, while he wasn’t “saying anything against any individuals,” that he believed the position has grown over the years to one that is very powerful and includes the duties of comptroller and clerk of the records.

“As it’s evolved over a period of time, this has become probably the most single powerful position in Clay County,” Stotler said, adding later, “I’m a big believer in checks and balances and I’m a big believer in the public picking who is in control.”

Support for the idea was hard to find among other members of the CRC and the citizens who appeared at the meeting to speak to the subject. Instead, the consensus was in support of an appointed county manager and in particular of Stephanie Kopelousos, who is the current county manager. Many cited the idea that if the position were elected, it would become a political position, rather than an executive position – a change they did not like.

Saying he would not be in favor of making such a change, CRC member Larry Kirkman said, “Just look to the north to Duval County to the level of animosity between the mayor and the city council. That would give you an idea of what you might have to look forward to.”

Kirkman also cited the idea that an elected county manager would basically be a part of a “popularity contest” in an election and would not have to display any real skills – just popularity. That person would also become very hard to fire as opposed to a county manager who is appointed by the county commission and can be terminated by that commission.

“I think what we have now works,” Kirkman said.

CRC member Tamara Brandt agreed, citing especially the requirement in the county manager’s contract that calls for the person to be on call for 24 hours a day.

“I think that this county manager does an awesome job,” she said. “There are checks and balances. The county manager is not writing a check for 50 cents without somebody knowing about it before it clears the bank so everybody knows about it and where it belongs.”

Art Hooker, also a CRC member, agreed Kopelousos was doing a good job, and mentioned her level of compensation ($177,000 a year).

“It’s my understanding that she’s never taken a cost of living adjustment so I think we’re being well served in this county by a county manager who quite honestly could have gone and served anywhere based on her history.”

CRC member Amy Miller said she would echo Hooker’s comments. “I looked at her compensation and I don’t think she gets paid enough,” she said.

Among those speaking in the public comment section of the meeting was Van Royal, a Green cove Springs council member. “The reality of it right now is we’ve got five county commissioners that are responsible to the public and they take that seriously and it’s our job to elect them and their job to hire the best qualified person and in my vein they have done that and it works,” he said.

George Egan, president of the Reinhold Corp., spoke about the county’s current form of government being good for bringing jobs to Clay County. “I spend a portion of every working week trying to bring jobs to Clay County and the most attractive thing we can do for companies outside of Clay County is to make our government work smoothly and efficiently and be an attractive place to move,” he said, adding that leads to jobs in Clay County that are “hopefully high paying” and therefore improve the quality of life.

Former county commissioner Wendell Davis also spoke against changing the county manager position to an elected one. He also spoke in favor of Kopelousos, saying she had helped greatly in moving Clay County forward in the outer beltway construction, which will bring many jobs here. He called Kopelousos a “cheerleader” for jobs and economic development and mentioned that she was definitely available 24/7.

“I’ve talked to her at midnight and she’s answered the phone. I’ve talked to her at 5:30 in the morning and she answered the phone,” Davis said.

Mike Cella, current vice chairman of the Clay County Commission, also spoke in favor of the existing form of government in the county, saying he had spoken to probably thousands of residents over the past few years and not one of them had complained about it. “Our form of government works. It’s survived the test of time,” he said. “Don’t fix what’s not broken.”

In the end, Stotler repeated that he had “no personal complaints whatsoever with our government,” but was glad the issue was debated.

“I don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other. I just think the discussion needed to be had and we had it,” he said.

There was no motion made to bring the item before voters and no vote taken.