Tobacco-Free County Employees: A Good Idea?

2008 will start out with a new policy applying to newly hired county employees.

Effective January 1, the county will no longer consider job applications from prospective employees unless they include an affidavit stating they have not used tobacco products for at least one year and won’t use them for as long as they are employed by the county. Current county employees are exempt from the “no-tobacco” policy. Also, the policy applies only to the employees in the departments under the county commission but not to the employees of other constitutional officers (e.g. sheriff, tax collector, clerk of courts).

A major reason for the new policy is to reduce health insurance costs.

What do you think: A good policy?

Open Thread: Keep It Rolling!

{This thread is closed. Use the new "Open Thread" posted on January 19 for your discussion topics.}

How about some new space for a continuation of what’s on your mind?

Here is a question to start: Have you made any "political" New Year’s Resolutions for 2008?

Parks Consolidation: Will It Fly?

Over the past few months, a discussion topic on the blog has been opportunities for the consolidation of municipal/county government. The PPI currently has a study group working on the topic.

Just this week representatives from the Ocala City Council and County Commission have proposed a consolidation of city and county parks, effective October 1, 2008, under the provisions of an interlocal agreement. The draft agreement still requires workshop discussion and approval by the Council and BCC.

Basically, at the end of the fifth year of the agreement Marion County would assume total financial and operational responsibility for the city parks. The current annual city parks and recreation budget is a little over $5.9 million. The city would provide $5 million to the county in the first year of the agreement to help offset the initial costs of consolidation. Future payments due would decrease by 10% annually for five years. After that, the city would make no further contributions.

Obviously, the consolidation is not totally painless on the staffing side. Estimates are that the consolidated organization could be run with 7-10 fewer staff; most at the upper levels of the organization where there would be duplication of management positions.

While this is a small-scale consolidation project, it presents a good opportunity to test the will of our elected officials to address the issue of jointly, in partnership, improving efficiency and reducing budgets. If this opportunity doesn’t pan out, taxpayers probably shouldn’t hold out much hope for the completion of any larger and more complex consolidation efforts.

Tell us what you think?

UPDATE: For a Star-Banner editorial opinion on the parks consolidation, click on this link.....

http://www.ocala.com/article/20071216/OPINION/532383459/1008/OPINION&template=artwithcomments

Open Thread: What's On Your Mind?

{This thread is closed. Use the new "Open Thread" posted on December 22 for your discussion topics.}

Looks like you are getting tired and confused by all these property tax reform proposals.

So for a change of pace, let’s open up the discussion to some other topics of your choosing.

Here is a new thread for you to start a discussion on whatever is of current interest to you. Move any continuing discussion from the other Open Thread up here.

Go to it!