A plan by Gov. Rick Scott to consolidate and merge agencies dealing with growth, economic development and work-force functions got its first airing from a Senate committee Friday.
The plan would place the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development under the direct supervision of the governors office, and combine most of the functions of the Department of Community Affairs and the Agency for Workforce Innovation into one superagency, dubbed Jobs Florida.
Some of the old DCA functions would go to other agencies. Land administration would move to the Department of Environmental Protection, emergency management would report to the governors office, and building code compliance would transfer to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who chairs the Budget Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations, applauded the $8.3 million in annual savings the moves are expected to generate, but was even more keen on the streamlining effect of the mergers.
I believe the value of this is the efficiencies that it creates, Gaetz said.
Like Gaetz, many committee members looked favorably on the overall goals of the plan, but questioned some of the specific moves. One provision suggested by Gov. Scott fell on deaf ears.
The committee essentially killed Gov. Scotts plan to limit the state salary of the Jobs Florida commissioner but allow private companies to buttress his or her compensation through bonuses. Senators balked at the idea of allowing a state agency head to accept money from companies that such a position is supposed to be regulating.
I would find it wholly inappropriate for him to accept money from those companies, said Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers.
Senators also questioned whether moving the states early learning programs from AWI to the Department of Education would jeopardize the federal grants Florida receives for those programs.
We wouldnt have gotten the money from the federal government if it wasnt work force-related. We put it in work force because of the federal dollars, said Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Sunny Isles.
Committee staffers said the federal grants would not be affected by the move.
Still, committee members expressed their desire to keep the cost savings included in Gov. Scotts proposal, but at the same time protect their turf. Sens. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and Jim Norman, R-Tampa, shot down a proposal from the governors office to allow him greater leeway in setting the budget for economic development.
No. No. No, Fasano repeated.
Gaetz contended that the separation of powers and checks and balances afforded to the Legislature were well-guarded in the plan to merge state agencies.
Theres no proposal here that would limit the oversight of the Legislature, Gaetz said.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
