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County is responsible for coordinating all of the efforts of the <br />various private and public agencies that exist to help children? <br />He guessed the reason he is here is that it is the County <br />Commission, since they have the authority to place the question <br />on the ballot so that people can decide whether or not they want <br />a Children's Services Council. If their group raised petitions <br />from every voter in the county, they still could not get on the <br />ballot because of the nature of our county government. In <br />talking to the Commissioners individually, he knew that many have <br />reservations about giving up control of taxation. He believed <br />that if the Commission has the power to tax, then they have the <br />power to regulate the use of the money and to administer the <br />various programs on a local basis. <br />Attorney Moss explained that a Children's Services Council <br />would be established by an ordinance of the County Commission. <br />It could have taxing authority of up to 1/2 mill. However, this <br />requires the approval of the voters of the county, and it is <br />necessary to request that the County Commission place the <br />question of funding on the ballot, preferably on the September <br />ballot. The Council would be composed of ten members. Five of <br />those would be statutory: Juvenile Court Judge, County <br />Commissioner, HRS District Administrator, School Board Member, <br />and Superintendent of Schools. The remaining five members would <br />be selected by the Governor from a list of 15 names submitted by <br />the County Commission. According to the ordinance proposed <br />today, this special taxing district would have the power to tax <br />up to 1/2 mill if approved by a majority of the registered <br />voters. Its purpose is contained in the statutes, and that is to <br />control the spending of funds on a local level; to have local <br />people answer the needs of local children in a preventative <br />measure; and respond to the actual needs that exist, not in Palm <br />Beach County or Dade County or in Tallahassee, but here in Indian <br />River County. It monitors the effectiveness of the dollars and <br />tax dollars spent, and collects donations and obtains <br />L- JUL <br />15 BOCK f ,r <br />