TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In a late-night vote, Leon County commissioners voted to add a non-binding referendum to the 2026 ballot that would allow voters to indicate if they want the City of Tallahassee and Leon County government to combine.
Commissioners David O’Keefe and Nick Maddox voted against the motion.
Tuesday’s vote is the latest development in an ongoing discussion about local government consolidation.
Recently, county staff generated a memo outlining the potential positives and negatives of combining the two local governments.
A majority of commissioners said they wanted the public’s direct input, instead of selecting a smaller sub-committee.
The idea has been voted on before and was rejected each time by voters. The 2026 vote will be non-binding, and it would require an act of the legislature to officially combine the two governments.
A professor from Florida State University previously told WCTV that consolidation can have positive impacts, but does not inherently solve the current local government issues.
The city and county are at odds over a fire fee, and a charter review committee is debating whether or not all county ordinances should override all city ordinances.
The structure of a new consolidated government would also need to be decided. Currently, all 12 city and county commissioners sit on a sales tax board.
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