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School, county boards to meet
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer
BROOKSVILLE -- For the first time since 1999, Hernando County commissioners and School Board members will meet formally Thursday morning to discuss issues of mutual interest. Members of both panels expressed hope that their joint session will lead to greater cooperation and communication between the two government agencies. A similar effort in the mid-to-late 1990s sputtered amid mistrust. "It's time to see what we can do to save the taxpayers some money ... and to make things work a little quicker and better," School Board chairman John Druzbick said. "We should work together cooperatively. I think it is in the county's best interest." For too long, the two boards have operated independently, almost as if they are not focused on the same end, Commissioner Diane Rowden said. "Obviously, our goal should be the same, which is being accountable to the taxpayers," she said. "This is a step in the right direction." The first order of business Thursday will be an attempt to realign the districts that the elected officials serve. Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams has suggested that some voters had been confused because their School Board and County Commission districts were not the same. County officials also have asked to discuss traffic problems caused by school pickups and dropoffs on Deltona Boulevard, between Deltona Elementary School and Fox Chapel Middle School. Druzbick figured the three-hour meeting, which will take place at school district headquarters on Broad Street, also will include time to bring up other topics for future review. "There's probably a laundry list of things out there," he said. "We probably should, as a board and County Commission, meet if not once a quarter at least two times a year." Much the same was said in 1996, when the commission and School Board kicked off what was supposed to be a new era of partnership. Talk centered on such things as savings through joint purchasing of goods and services. The goodwill faded a year later, though, as commissioners refused to increase the school district's impact fees to the highest allowable level, even as they raised the one-time development fee for roads, parks and other county services to the max. Personalities also got in the way, according to several accounts. "I felt there was a lot of staff resistance to intergovernmental cooperation," School Board member Jim Malcolm said, calling the effort "fairly unsuccessful." The last time the two bodies met, in 1999, members talked about creating a community swimming pool. Nothing came of the discussion, and no further meetings were scheduled. With some specific items needing attention, especially relating to growth and planning, Malcolm said, there might be a better chance for success this time. "Let's start there and see whether we can renew the old spirit of TWICE," he said, referring to the original committee acronym for Together We Improve through Cooperative Efforts. "I don't like to meet for the sake of meeting. But if we can get some stuff accomplished, we should do it." Commissioner Robert Schenck welcomed any opportunity to give taxpayers a break through joint action. "This goes a long way in opening the lines of communication and getting some different perspectives on issues we're facing," Schenck said. "Hopefully, this is not a one-time meeting." The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. It is a workshop, and no binding votes will be taken. -- Jeffrey S. Solochek covers education in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6115. Send e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com .
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