Brevard commissioners seeks constituent ideas for cost savings, generating revenue, productivity

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Members of the public have until New Year's Day to submit their ideas for how Brevard County government can be more efficient — in effect, New Year's resolutions for how the county can do better in 2020.

It’s part of a process detailed in Brevard County’s charter for how the government operates, reports News 6 partner Florida Today.

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Residents are being asked to submit ideas that could assist county government in conserving energy, saving costs, eliminating duplication, generating revenue, increasing productivity or preventing waste.

The online form is available through Jan. 1 by going to www.brevardfl.gov/government, then clicking on the “Speak Up Brevard” icon. A hard-copy version of the form also can be submitted and is available through the county manager’s office.

Brevard County Manager Frank Abbate said the program has proven successful over the years in getting a variety of innovative ideas to the County Commission.

After the ideas are submitted, the county manager’s office has 45 days to evaluate and comment on the recommendation — typically with input from the county department head whose department is most directly involved in the issue raised. The recommendations then are forwarded to the County Commission for review.

The County Commission must take a final vote to approve, reject, or revise and accept the recommendation within 120 days.

The sponsor of the recommendation will be given at least a week’s notice prior to it being heard and voted on by the County Commission.

A listing of all recommendations, including their outcome, will be posted on the county website.

Four proposals came before the County Commission in the previous round of Speak Up Brevard proposals. They involved eliminating municipal police departments; implementing mandatory recycling; using recycled plastic for road repairs; and increasing enforcement of rules banning dogs on most beaches.

But all four proposals were rejected for various reasons by the County Commission at its March 26 meeting.

The Speak Up Brevard process was established as a county charter amendment approved by voters in November 2010, with 73.3% in favor and 26.7% opposed. The process also is called Citizen Efficiency and Effectiveness Recommendations, or CEER.

The county charter change to establish an annual procedure so residents can submit written "effectiveness and efficiency" recommendations to county commissioners was proposed to a county Charter Review Commission by Carolyn Fausnaugh, who was an assistant professor with the Florida Institute of Technology's School of Business.

The Charter Review Commission approved that idea by a 13-0 vote, allowing the proposed charter change to be on the ballot in 2010.

The charter is the mini-constitution that details the powers and structures of county government.


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