From The News Service of Florida:
A House Republican on Thursday proposed a constitutional amendment that would impose eight-year term limits on county commissioners. Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, filed the proposal (HJR 19) for consideration during the 2024 legislative session, which will start in January.
- If approved by the Legislature, the proposal would go on the November 2024 ballot, where it would need 60 percent approval from voters to pass.
The state Constitution addresses the structure of county commissions and four-year terms for commissioners but does not limit terms.
- State lawmakers, the governor, and Cabinet members have eight-year term limits. Also, this year’s Legislature approved imposing eight-year term limits on school board members, down from previous 12-year limits.
In fact, LL. Laird, she and other state officials are positioning themselves nicely to swoop into lucrative commissionerships if they fail in their bids to land in the DC swamp.
So that’s one self-enriching point to all this–a whole lotta current state legislators positioned to run for county commissioner in the near future to bulk up those high 5’s.
Then, of course, there is keeping things chaotic on a local level so the State can continue to solidify its authoritarian control. Florida has already tipped into actual fascism. Our governor is in fact a dictator (we’ll see if he can hold the line after continuing to make an ass of himself on the presidential circuit–with Michelle cheerleading for his pathetic disgrace); his administration is a plutocratic oligarchy; and our legislature is their banana republic.
Michelle Salzman, Alex Andrade, and Doug Broxson have not only voted to increase authoritarian control over and over, but have been some of the key architects of the policies. This is just the first time people alarmed about the demise of this state’s democracy are really noticing her place in all this. All three of our delegates have been very faithful lap dogs for the Florida GOP’s evolution into a fascist autocracy.
If she wants to prove people wrong on that, she could do so very simply by (1) increasing the term limits to 3 or 4 terms (which any reasonable person should support, given the gerontocracy that’s bogging down DC); and (2) including constitutional officers for limits.
The first she might do–who knows. On a County level, it’s very difficult to get meaningful, big ticket accomplishments done in two terms (contrary to ECUA policy board members, who don’t actually do much). And any damage incurred by a befuddled electorate returning somebody like Doug Underhill to power would at least have a clear end in sight.
The second–I’d be very surprised that Salzman or any other republican has the moral courage or ethics to go up against sheriffs, tax collectors, clerks, and property appraisers. The Florida “republican” party much prefers to punch down with their bully tactics.
So now we can add county commissioners to the mix of their targets along with Black people, victims of contractor fraud, LGBTQ+, school board members, victims of gun violence, elected prosecutors, constitutional districting, Disney workers, current residents impacted by their contractor-friendly Flood Your Neighbor bills, and on an on it goes. And on and on it will continue to go. Who’s up next?
I do not think Escambia can stand to have her around for 8 yr’s. She and that other state rep has done nothing back the Desantasss in destroying this states laws that supported individuals FREE SPEECH, RIGHT TO VOTE, THE RIGHT TO READ, AND FIRED SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO TEACH THE TROUTH ABOUT RASISM AND SLAVERY.