The
State constitution gives the Board of County Commissioners
the power to adopt ordinances (local laws), approve
the County budget and set millages, and establish
the requirements for the departments under its
control. The Board governs all unincorporated
areas of the county directly; municipalities may
call upon the County for specialized services.
The Commission does not have control of
the budgets or policies of the School Board.
The Commission
approves support funding for court services,
insofar as County funds are concerned,
and approves the
budgets of the Clerk of the Circuit Court,
the Sheriff, and the Supervisor of Elections.
Budgets
for the Tax Collector and the Property
Appraiser are approved by the State Department
of Revenue
and filed with the Board of County Commissioners.
The commissioners also serve as other Boards
for
the County, such as the Emergency Medical
Services Authority, the Fire Protection
Authority, the
Mosquito Control Board, the Countywide
Planning Authority, and the Water & Navigation
Control Authority.
Meetings are held twice a month, usually, but
not always, on the first and third Tuesdays. The
earlier meeting in the month begins at 9:30 a.m.
and follows an agenda of Invocation, Pledge of
Allegiance, Presentations and Awards, scheduled Public Hearings, Citizens
to be Heard, and Agenda
Items.
Meetings in the latter part of the month are
actually held in two parts. Invocation, Pledge of
Allegiance, Presentations and Awards, Citizens
to be Heard and Agenda items are
discussed
with the Board at 3:00 pm, after which there
is a break and the Board reconvenes at 6:30
p.m.
with scheduled Public Hearings. These
meetings
are designated for zoning matters as well.
The
public is invited to attend these meetings
which are held in the fifth floor Assembly
Room of the County Courthouse, 315 Court
Street, Clearwater. Special listening devices
are available at the meetings upon request.
Board meetings are televised LIVE and repeated
during the week on the
Pinellas County Government television station – Pinellas
County Connection TV (PCC-TV). These meetings are closed-captioned
for the hearing impaired.
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