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Leesburg commission declines to hire special magistrate for planning and zoning
Summary
After a staff presentation on differences between a special magistrate and the volunteer planning commission, the City Commission voted down a motion to move forward with a special magistrate; commissioners cited cost, community involvement and reliance on volunteer expertise.
Mayor Reisman called the Nov. 24 meeting to order and the commission heard a staff presentation on the option of replacing the volunteer planning and zoning body with a hired special magistrate.
Candy Harper, a city staff member, told the commission a special magistrate is a "professionally trained and qualified individual" who can provide "efficiency, more expertise and consistency in decision making" and legal clarity, while a planning commission offers community representation, transparency and public trust. Harper said a written report by Mr. Miller was available for commissioners seeking more detail and invited questions.
Commissioners who opposed the change said the city currently benefits from volunteer knowledge and public participation. One commissioner cited an estimate from the city manager that the magistrate option would cost between $50,000 and $100,000 per year and said those funds would replace citizens who volunteer to serve on the planning and zoning board.
After discussion and a public question about whether a magistrate would need to be local, the commission considered a motion "to approve moving forward with the magistrate." The motion was seconded and the commission took roll call. The transcript records votes as Commissioner Conell — No; Commissioner Burry — No; Commissioner Peterson — Yes; Commissioner Connell/Connell‑call — No; Mayor Reisman — No, and the motion failed.
The commission took no further action on the governance change; staff were not directed to proceed with hiring a magistrate at this meeting. The meeting moved on to public comment and other agenda business.
