Negron Adds Children's Services Council Proposal onto Another Bill

Sen. Joe Negron's unpopular attempt to have voters decide regularly whether to close or continue a Children's Services Council with independent taxing authority has been revised. It is moving toward a vote in the Senate as an amendment to another bill. The changed proposal was added to SB 2014, which was rolled over to third reading Wednesday afternoon.

Negron, R-Palm City, changed his proposal from a call for a voter referendum every six years on Children's Services Council that exist as taxing authorities to a vote on those councils on future general election ballots. The year of the vote will depend on the size of the populaton for a council. For councils that already exist in an area with fewer than 400,000 people,the first vote will be in 2014. If approved by the county government, the council can say it doesn't need to submit itself to a reauthorization vote. Otherwise, it will be subjected to a referendum 12 years after it is created. If local voters turn it down, the council will be dissolved.

Negron's original bill prompted furor from his district and a potential challenge to his reelection from the Martin County sheriff. As the amendment reached the floor, some senators repeated critics' questions of whether a mandated vote on the councils was necessary when counties can already call for a vote when necessary.