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This year’s ballot includes a straw poll on consolidation of city and county governments, and it’s not the first time Tallahassee and Leon County voters have been asked to weigh in on this hotly debated issue. Straw polls on consolidation have been on ballots at least twice before (1972 and 1980) to gauge the opinions of voters on this issue in hopes of laying the groundwork for adding a vote on consolidation to the ballot in subsequent years. In 1971, 1973, 1976, and 1992, a measure to consolidate the two governments was on the ballot, and each time it was defeated at the polls. The issue has resurfaced multiple times since the late 1960s, with many groups forming to explore the possibilities of merging the two governments, others actively working to support the concept, and others adamantly opposed to it.
After studying city and county governments for two years and concluding that consolidation would provide the best possible government with greater efficiency and better services, the Tallahassee League reached consensus in support of consolidation and endorsed the proposed consolidation charter in 1971. The League outlined the reasons for its endorsement:
- To give voters the right to petition for referendum, recall elected officials, and amend the charter;
- To form a single commission that would consider the needs of urban and rural areas and reduce conflict, confusion, and duplication;
- To combine city and county services to foster efficiency and economy and be more accessible to citizen participation.
In subsequent years, conflict between the city and county added to the drive for consolidation. The Tallahassee League continued to support consolidation in the following years and worked alongside other groups to explain the benefits of consolidation, correct misconceptions about it, and counter objections to it. In addition to asking about the issue at candidate forums, the League held meetings to inform the community about the ballot measures, submitted letters to the Tallahassee Democrat, joined with other community groups to promote merger, and campaigned “neighborhood to neighborhood and person to person” in favor of a consolidated government.
It’s unclear whether this year’s straw poll will lead to another vote on consolidation, but with increasing conflict between the city and county, it may be time for the League to reconsider the idea.
Gloria Colvin, LWV Tallahassee
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