The idea that any government body with taxing authority should elected comes up from time to time.
The latest salvo came in a guest commentary written by Sanibel City Councilman Chauncy Goss that was published in Eco-Voice Daily, an online compilation of articles and commentary from south Florida.
He specifically mentioned the unelected members of Florida’s five water management districts. All are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate.
The makeup and method of selection of the water management district boards is now governed by state law.
The water management districts’ ability to levy property taxes was authorized by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1976.
The districts have the authority to levy varying amounts of property taxes ranging from between 5 cents per $1,000 of taxable value in the Panhandle to $1 per $1,000 of taxable value in the Tampa Bay area.
The idea of whether the boards should be elected instead of appointed has been discussed in the past.
The idea of having elected boards was rejected because it could lead to decisions based on short-term political considerations rather than long-term sustainability, the winning argument went.
This does not mean that there is no politics in water policy decisions.
Board appointments often reflect the politics of whoever sits in the governor’s mansion and that affects board policies.
That includes tax rates, staffing levels and environmental permitting.