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Walton County commissioners ask staff to draft ordinance clarifying selection and confirmation of department heads
Summary
At an April 22 workshop in South Walton, commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance or administrative code to define how department heads are selected and whether the board will confirm hires; no ordinance was adopted at the workshop.
Walton County commissioners on Tuesday, April 22, directed county staff to draft an ordinance or administrative code that would clarify how the county selects and (if adopted) confirms department heads and define the separation of powers between the board and county administration. The discussion took place at a workshop at the South Walton Annex; the board did not take a formal vote to adopt an ordinance.
The draft ordinance would respond to years of precedent-based practice and recent confusion over whether Part 3 of Chapter 125 of the Florida Statutes (the County Administration Act of 1974) applies to Walton County. Legal counsel told the board that adopting the statutory part would require adopting it in full, while the board could instead craft a home-rule ordinance or administrative code tailored to local needs.
Commissioners framed the issue as one of continuity and good governance. Commissioner Gladwell said Walton County is “remarkably low on ordinances controlling county…
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