Action Center

Local Government Committee

The Orange County League and its Local Government Committee work to apply League principles to the study of and action on issues related to Orange County government. These principles include:

• promoting open government that is representative, accountable and responsive
• improving political campaign financing
• promoting citizen participation in the political process
• protecting the citizen's right to know
• facilitating citizen participation in government decision making.

During 2008, the LWVOC Local Government Committee closely followed what the Orange County Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform was doing and also the Orange County Charter Review Commission. We supported some of the recommendations of the Task Force and urged the Charter Review Commission to put these on the ballot. The ethics recommendations that we supported did pass and will be implemented by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.

Also, the provision for increased public input at Board of County Commission meetings, which we supported vigorously before the Charter Review Commission, was voted into effect.

The Local Government Committee is pleased with these results, although we could have wished for more reforms along similar lines. We will continue with our interest in ethics in government and will no doubt be supporting further positive changes.

Local Government Committee Issues for 2009-10

• Observe and monitor the following Groups:
  • Board of County Commissioners
  • Expressway Review Board
  • Citizen Review Board
• Continue to monitor the Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform through the State Legislature
• Review League’s position on consolidation of services
• Study to review League’s position on elected vs. constitutional officers
• Continue to publicize the importance of citizen input at BCC meetings
  

Please contact Andrea Kobrin or Michele Levy if you are interested in joining the Local Government Committee to work further on local government issues.

CONTACT:

Michele Levy
407-375-1906
mrlevy@cfl.rr.com

Andrea Kobrin
407-647-5912
lulubelle@cfl.rr.com

Remarks before Orange County Board of County Commissioners - Public Comment, May 29, 2010
Michele Levy, Local Government Committee on revisions of Ethics Ordinance

Good afternoon.  My name is Michelle Levy and I am Co-Chair of the Local Government Committee of the League of Women Voters of Orange County.  Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

 As you know, the League was at the forefront in supported of the 2008 amendments addressing ethics and lobbying activities, which Orange County citizens passed overwhelmingly.

The League would like to commend the Board of County Commissioners for acting so promptly to amend the Orange County ethics ordinances to comply with   the legislation passed by the Florida Legislature in the 2010 Session, which granted exemption from the Sunshine Law for ethics complaints, until probable cause has been established. This is quick work for a government body, and we thank you.

 We hope that these amendments are only the first in implementing other recommendations made by the Ethics and Campaign Finance Task Force and supported by the League.

The League would like to add our support for the timely appointment of a County Ethics Officer, the development of a curriculum for ethics and procedural training, and the establishment of the Ethics Advisory Board.

Thank you.

Memo from County Attorney re Ethics Ordinance, June 18, 2010

Observer Corps: LINKS OF INTEREST

Orange County Board of County Commissioners meetings:
http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/GOVERN/meetingsPN/BCC/default.htm

The Observer Corps: Report on Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority meeting - Aug. 26, 2009
By Jean Siegfried

Excerpted findings and recommendations
from the Governance Audit of the Expressway Authority
Read the full report

Q&A with Expressway Authority's Mike Snyder

The Observer Corps: Pignone Says XWay Chief Should Be Fired
But citizens' panel refuses to back her proposals
By Ann Hellmuth

The Observer Corps: Pignone Drops Bombshell
Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority
Citizens Advisory Committee - June 16, 2009

Chairman Dan Webster was beginning to wind things down when Fran Pignone dropped her bombshell that the road-agency's entire $2.2 billion debt load was tied up in a risky variable-rate bond deal that could end up costing $100 million to fix things.

The story made the front page of Wednesday's Orlando Sentinel and Taking Names columnist Scott Maxwell also weighed in. Read their reports

Toll agency borrowed $1 billion at variable interest rates -- that are now soaring
A member of the blue-ribbon panel investigating the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority thinks the rising cost of its bond debt helped drive the agency to raise tolls earlier this year. The agency denies there's a connection.
David Damron
June 17, 2009, Orlando Sentinel

X-way plays risk -- guess who will lose?
Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority has almost half its debt tied up in swap bond deals and nobody seems to care.
Scott Maxwell | TAKING NAMES
June 17, 2009, Orlando Sentinel

The Observer Corps:
Citizens' Panel on Xway
Authority Gets to Work
report from May 19th meeting

Report from May 5th meeting:
Citizens' Advisory Committee
O-O Expressway Authority
By Ann Hellmuth