Letter: Suggests commission-appointed charter revision group
Richard Bowers
Ponte Vedra Beach
Publication Date: 11/06/08
Editor: St. Johns County's voters have spoken. The faux charter government that was forced on the voters was defeated Tuesday for the second time.
The newly configured County Commission has a chance to explore charter government correctly. The commission can form a broad-based charter review commission composed of appointees from all government entities countywide including the cities, the special districts, and the Airport Authority. Private organizations, from Rotary clubs to Chambers of Commerce, should also be invited to participate. They can take several years to look at governance countywide and come forward with a new and true charter. If the County Commission can spend $35,000 to promote this faux charter, it can find sufficient funds to staff a charter review commission with professional consultants.
There is sufficient time to make this an inclusive effort and require that all business be conducted under the Open Records and Sunshine laws of Florida.
A future charter commission should include those who were for and against this recent effort. There were some good points made by the pro-charter faction. There is no reason to believe that they did not have the best interests of the county. Of course, the anti-charter people did also.
The County Commission should combine their viewpoints and get the best thinking in the county, supplement it with professionals, and charge them to bring back a charter that is fair and reasonable to all citizens.
Charter per se is not the be all and end all of local government. It can enhance and improve the election process and the delivery of county services and determine, by consensus, exactly what the government should be doing.
Bring everyone together and move forward. We all have the county's best interests in our hearts and minds.
Richard Bowers
Ponte Vedra Beach
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