May 20, 2013
Tallahassee, FL --- May 22, 2012
Leon County will host a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, June 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where the main location for the meeting will be held in the 5th floor Commission Chambers of the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe St.
Residents won’t have to come to the courthouse to fully participate in the proceedings. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the meeting online. Those who do not have access to the Internet can take advantage of the computers available throughout the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System including the Main Library downtown and all six branches.
Leon County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Akin Akinyemi requested the virtual town hall meeting, which aligned with the board’s strategic initiative of implementing strategies to further engage citizens.
“It is important that we make every effort to expand citizen access to County government,” said Commissioner Akinyemi. “We realize that every citizen does not have the opportunity to come take part in commission meetings at the courthouse. This effort creates a venue for those citizens who are not able to make the traditional board meeting. Leon County citizens will help shape this virtual town hall meeting by submitting their questions in advance and throughout this meeting.”
A special area on the Leon County website has been set up for residents to submit questions starting today, Tuesday, May 22. The focus of the meeting will be on the public’s questions and responses to those questions. Presentations on current topics will be interspersed, as time permits, between the questions and responses. County Administrator Vincent S. Long will facilitate the meeting, acting as a moderator to move the discussion along.
“Leon County is engaging citizens in ways big and small and this virtual town hall meeting is another opportunity to allow citizens to get connected with County government,” said Long. “The foundation for everything we do in Leon County government is the long held belief that when we include citizens, we make better decisions and have a greater positive impact on our community.”
To the extent possible, responses to the public’s questions will be provided during the virtual town hall meeting. Responses not provided during the meeting, due to time limitations or the need for research, will be posted online at the County’s website. It is anticipated that responses will be posted online by Wednesday, June 20 – 10 business days after the virtual town hall meeting.
Proposed topics of interest for presentations include redistricting State of Florida Congressional and House districts and 2011 changes to the Florida election code that may impact those who want to vote in Leon County in 2012.
Updates on the Leon County Sales Tax Committee, Public Safety Complex, Fiscal Year 2013 Budget, Lake Jackson Branch Library and Sense of Place Initiative and the Design Studio may also be provided during the meeting, if time permits.
For more information, contact Jon D. Brown, Director of Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / cmr@LeonCountyFL.gov .
