Czar Power 2020: County 5 Chairman, Toby Witt, Announces Commissioner Appointments
Posted January 10, 05:10 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Every year, based on the County Charter, the Columbia County 5 appoints a County Commission Chairman. This year's appointment is Toby Witt, who was elevated from the position of Vice Chair. In the civilized world, there are rules for Commission appointments to Boards and Committees. In Columbia County, the County Chairman invokes the "Feagle feel like it principle:" he or she appoints who they feel like.
The Chair is not obligated to explain his/her appointments, nor is the Chair obligated to ask for volunteers to serve on specific committees. The rest of The 5 do not have to approve the appointments.
The Civilized World
In Alachua County the process works like this:
a) A listing of previous-year appointments will be disseminated to the County Commission in advance of the appropriate meeting so that each Commissioner can determine his or her interest in serving on various board committees.
b) If there is no nominee or no volunteer or more than one volunteer for a vacancy, the Chair will appoint a Commissioner to serve. The Commission shall ratify the appointments to boards and committees.
In the land of The County 5 the process works like this
The County Chair, in this case, Commissioner Witt, appoints who he feels like.
It is not clear if Mr. Witt discusses the appointments with the other commissioners, or if he uses the county manager as a liaison.
Commissioners do not report back to the rest of The 5, nor to the public, regarding the work of the committees or boards on which they sit.
Chairman Witt's appointments by district:
District
1, Commissioner Ron Williams
Tourist Development Council
Small County Coalition
North Florida Water Issues
Non-Ad Valorem Assessments Adjustment Committee
District
2, Commissioner Rocky Ford
Tourist Development Council
N FL Economic Development Partnership
Public Safety
Sports Advisory Council
Value Adjustment Board
District
3, Commissioner Sylvester "Bucky" Nash
Suwannee Valley Transit Authority
Local Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board
Suwannee River Economic Council, Inc.
District
4, Commissioner Toby Witt
Suwannee Valley Transit Authority
Value Adjustment Board
Florida Crown Workforce Development Board
Ship Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
District
5, Commissioner Tim Murphy
N Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Florida Association of Counties Trust
Economic Development Advisory Board
911 Combined Communications Center Board
