Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners ask county attorney to begin statutory process to expand county seat beyond Tampa
Summary
Commissioner Christine Miller moved and the board voted 6-0 to direct the county attorney to prepare a resolution under Florida Statute section 138.12 to expand the county seat designation beyond the City of Tampa to encompass the county's full geographic boundary, with statutory public notice and two hearings; legal counsel said the change is nominal and does not alter law-enforcement jurisdiction.
Hillsborough County commissioners voted Feb. 18 to ask the county attorney to prepare a resolution under Florida Statute section 138.12 to expand the county seat designation beyond the City of Tampa so the county seat would encompass the entire county boundary.
Commissioner Christine Miller, who sponsored the item, said the change would modernize an "archaic" designation established in 1834 and better reflect county facilities and services sited outside Tampa city limits. "What this request does is move the county seat beyond the limits of the City Of Tampa to include the entire geographical area of the county," Miller said, asking the attorney to provide required public notice and two public hearings under the statute.
County legal counsel told the board the proposed change "would have no effect on any of the jurisdictional requirements" and is nominal in name and context only. Commissioners discussed historical context and the rationale for the request. The motion to direct the county attorney to process the resolution and provide statutory notice carried 6-0.
What happens next: county attorneys will draft the resolution, provide the statutorily required notices and bring the item back for the public hearings specified in Florida Statute 138.12.
