Government Digest: Aug. 13 - Aug. 19

Senate staff shake-up via budget cuts
TALLAHASSEE — Five key Florida Senate staff members have been let go by incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and more paring down is expected as the state faces a $6 billion budget shortfall next year.
Among the group let go so far are Ray Wilson, staff director of the Senate Governmental Oversight and Productivity Committee, who has been with the state 39 years, and General Counsel Jay Vail, a 29-year state employee, but who only moved to the Senate in 2007.
Also axed were Joe McVaney, chief attorney for the Senate Ways and Means Committee, a 22-year employee for the House and Senate, and Bob McKee, staff director of the Finance and Taxation Committee. McKee joined the Senate staff last year after working eight years at the Department of Revenue. Curtis Unruh, the information technology director for the Senate, is a 24-year state employee, who has been with the Senate since early 2008. The five salaries ranged from $99,876 to $130,092 a year.

Planning commission seat vacancy
COLLIER COUNTY — The Collier County Planning Commission has one vacancy expiring Oct. 1, 2011 representing Commission District 3.
The nine-member committee assists in the drafting and review of the comprehensive plan, land development code, and amendments to both, and makes recommendations to the county commission.

Scott holds lead over McCollum
FLORIDA — Naples Republican Rick Scott continues to lead in the governor's primary race in the latest Mason-Dixon poll against Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Scott now holds a 37%-31% advantage, with 29% undecided, after having a double-digit lead over McCollum in earlier polls.
An Associated Industries poll shows Scott with a seven-percentage point lead over McCollum. The TPM Poll Average, as of early August, shows Scott leading McCollum 39.8%-29.3%.
In the Democratic primary for the open U.S. Senate seat, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek leads by 33%-29% against real estate investor Jeff Greene. Previously, Meek trailed Greene for several weeks by up to 10 percentage points in other polls.
The poll of 625 likely Democratic primary voters and 625 likely Republican primary voters was taken from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4. It has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Understand county government
SARASOTA COUNTY — Sarasota County government's Civics 101 program has openings for the 10-week session, which begins Sept. 2. The course is an introduction to the operations and services of county government. County staff guide 25 participants through numerous operational areas, explaining how the county develops policies and provides programs and services.
Applications are available on the county's website at www.scgov.net by clicking on “Neighborhood University” under neighborhood services in the county A-Z list. For more information, call 941-861- 5000 or e-mail [email protected].

MEETINGS

TAMPA BAY
The Legislative Committee of the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) meets at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, at the University of South Florida Spectrum building, 3802 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa.

PINELLAS COUNTY
The Pinellas County Transportation Task Force meets at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., suite 100, Pinellas Park.
The Joint Land Use/Transportation Committee meets at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, in conference room 111, Pinellas County Public Works building, 440 Court St., Clearwater. For more information, call (727) 464-3829
The Business Technology Services Board will hold a workshop meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, in the fourth floor clerk's conference room, Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St., Clearwater. For more information, call (727) 464-5381.

MANATEE COUNTY
The Tourist Development Council meets at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 16, at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Dr., Holmes Beach.
The Manatee County Port Authority meets at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, in the third floor meeting room of the Port Intermodal Center, 1905 Intermodal Circle, Palmetto.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY
The Industrial Development Authority meets at noon Wednesday, Aug. 18, at the SunTrust Bank Building, 18501 Murdock Circle, suite 502, Port Charlotte. For more information, contact Kathy Knee at (941) 627-3023.

CANDIDATE FORUMS
Six candidates for U.S. House District 11 — four Republicans and two Democrats — are invited to a forum of the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa, at noon Friday, Aug. 20, at Maestro's at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. For more information, go to www.tigerbayclub.com, or call (813) 741-0004. Candidates for Circuit Court Judge Groups 4 and 10 will also attend.