March 26, 2024
The commission approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the consolidation of North Central Florida CareerSource offices, a move that came at the request of the state of Florida.
CareerSource Florida previously recommended to the governor’s office that several workforce areas be consolidated to minimize service duplication, improve consistency, and maximize resources to enhance outcomes for businesses and individuals. As a result, districts 7 and 9 were recommended for consolidation. The proposed consolidation creates a new six-county local workforce development area (LWDA) that comprises Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Union counties.
Under the MOU, the new board will consist of one elected commissioner from each county, with Alachua County having two voting members. Alachua County’s members can designate their voting power to another member or an alternate if one is absent. The other counties will also be allowed to appoint alternate voting members in their absence.
The new voting structure allows Alachua County to receive five (50%) out of 10 votes on the board, representing 66% of the total population of the six counties. Columbia County represents the second largest population, at 16%. Liability will also be split 50-50 between Alachua County and the others. The proposal ensures that Alachua County must have buy-in from at least one other county before moving forward on decisions and that it holds veto power.
Alachua County will serve as the administrative entity, fiscal agent, and equal opportunity officer. The group’s chief executive officer will report to the new board but will be an employee of Alachua County.
The agreement will be sent to the other five counties for review and approval. If passed, the effective date of the interlocal agreement is July 1, 2024.