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Citrus listing what it wants
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET © St. Petersburg Times, published January 15, 2001 INVERNESS -- Like children reciting their wish lists to Santa Claus, local officials Wednesday will tell lawmakers what measures and funds they hope this year's legislative session will bring. And though they won't be wearing red suits or white beards, members of the Citrus legislative delegation -- state Rep. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River, state Sen. Anna Cowin, R-Leesburg, and state Sen. Richard Mitchell, D-Jasper -- will be on hand to hear constituents' concerns. The meeting starts at 2:30 p.m. in the County Commission chambers at the Masonic Building in downtown Inverness. County Commissioner Gary Bartell will remind the legislators about the county's water quality projects and ask that the state set aside $2.5-million for the Homosassa wastewater project and $3.12-million for the Chassahowitzka water and sewer systems. Crystal River City Manager David Sallee will ask lawmakers not to mandate the two-in, two-out rule for firefighters, a staffing standard that could prove costly to volunteer firefighting departments. And Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill will plead with officials to do away with punch card ballots (which are used in some other counties, but not Citrus), runoff elections and the partisan status of elections officials. "This is stuff we've been trying to do for years," Gill said. "But now that everything's under a microscope, people are listening." Local officials will hand the delegation long lists of legislative topics, from growth management to the removal of deserted boats, but they will have just a few minutes at the podium to highlight their top issues. "This is more of a formal presentation of the package," Bartell said. "The real work is individually working with the legislators, and not just the local delegation, but as many as we can get to work with us." The county's wish list touches on issues of statewide concern, such as a Florida Association of Counties proposal for the state to fund certain court costs. But local matters, such as the County Commission's annual budget showdown with Property Appraiser Ron Schultz, are also addressed. Commissioners are asking the Legislature to give them more say in approving the property appraiser's budget, which currently falls under the state Department of Revenue's jurisdiction. As for election reform, Gill said she supports the proposal by the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections to standardize election procedures statewide. She also hopes legislators will remember to include elections officials in the process of improving election laws. "(Legislators) will get a tip sheet saying this is what we're suggesting, but my message for them Wednesday is going to be, 'Let us work with you and come up with something that makes sense,' " she said. And with the international attention that Florida's elections laws received in the aftermath of the presidential election, Gill expects she will finally have the Legislature's ear. "I think this year I have a distinct advantage, don't you?" she said, chuckling.
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