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Seminole County plans Oct. 1 launch for new code-enforcement division; start-up budget estimated just over $1 million
Summary
County staff proposed a proactive code-enforcement division to transfer duties from the sheriff’s office, with a target start date of Oct. 1, an estimated start-up budget "a little over $1,000,000," an initial recommendation of four officers and planned code amendments this spring.
Seminole County staff on Jan. 28 presented a kickoff for a new, centralized code-enforcement division that the county aims to implement Oct. 1, with a preliminary start-up budget the presenter described as "a little over a $1,000,000."
Mike Rhodes, who led the presentation, told the Board of County Commissioners the proposal would create a performance‑oriented, proactive code-enforcement operation under Development Services, use a single software platform for planning, permitting and enforcement, and provide public-facing dashboards. "Our intention is to launch the new division by October 1st and have everything ready to go for you," Rhodes said.
Rhodes reviewed a transition timeline and action items: adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) local amendments (targeted back before the board in late February or early March), code amendments to chapters 95 and 53 (anticipated in the April–May timeframe), recruitment of a division manager, and setting up IT, facilities and staffing. He recommended starting with four code-enforcement officers and said staffing needs could be adjusted as performance metrics became available.
The proposal calls for coordinating a staff transition from the sheriff’s office; Rhodes said the sheriff’s staff have cooperated and that the sheriff had offered recent vehicles purchased for code enforcement to support a smooth day‑one start. The county manager and the sheriff will reconcile staffing and budget details through the regular budget process, with an update expected in late spring. Rhodes also recommended increasing contractual services funding to accelerate abatements if the board supports shifting some abatement authority to an administrative rather than board-level process.
Commissioners asked for clearer "from‑and‑to" staffing and budget tables showing current sheriff-provided resources versus the proposed county division; better estimates of multi‑year costs; and a plan for encouraging property reinvestment where liens and violations may deter buyers. Commissioner Lockhart urged that any settlement or remediation pathways be structured to encourage neighborhood revitalization while holding owners accountable. Several commissioners said they wanted electronic and binder copies of all presentation materials and expressed interest in reviewing the detailed staffing and budget implications before formal approval.
No final board vote occurred at the meeting. Staff will return with code-amendment language, detailed budget scenarios tied to the county’s FY26–27 process, recruitment plans and the proposed organizational chart for the new division.
