Local Government Florida

Florida, known for its citrus fruits and sunshine, has a population of nearly 19.4 million people (E-Government). An extraordinary place to visit and an even better place to live, Florida is an east coast hot bed that seems to always be growing in population. It's a great thing the state of Florida has a solid plan for local government to satisfy these needs for the growing population of the state.

Florida's state government is divided into 67 'counties' that are each responsible for governing their own region (E-Government). 66 of the 67 operate as incorporated municipalities (Brevard). These municipalities are also known as charters. The one exception is Wakulla County as they are the only county not to operate on county charter (Brevard).

Charters are grants of authority by the federal or state government and they state that the granter is superior and grants the recipient the power to operate within the details of the document. Brevard County adopted its charter in 1994 (Brevard). Brevard County is a 'home rule charter" county which gives it the right to create laws to govern itself so long as they obey the state and federal constitutions (Brevard) . Florida's state Constitution says that counties operating under county charters have control of all local government so long as they are consistent with general law (E-Government). This means that they are allowed to fully control their own affairs and govern as they see fit but of course cannot overstep federal or state law.

The local government of Brevard County is put in charge of many government activities including the sheriff's office and local parks and recreation (E-Government). The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is a county-wide police force used to control highways and enforce county law. Sheriffs, who have authority throughout the entire county monitor the county and rely on the assistance of the city police departments to insure the full safety of citizens. The Department of Parks and Recreation is an organization in which the sole purpose is to care for the parks and playgrounds in the county. They may also put on events and fundraisers in an attempt to gain money for the parks. Organizations like this are also always taking volunteers that are willing to do work to help the beautiful parks that bless the counties of Florida. The current Sheriff of Brevard County is Wayne Ivey. He was elected in 2012 (E-Government). There