Hillsborough County voters are going to have two more choices to make this November.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed bills that would call for expanding the county commission — and electing a superintendent of schools.
One of the bills calls for a referendum on November’s ballot that would make the appointed school superintendent an elected position. It's now appointed by the school board. It would be a partisan election for what is currently a non-partisan office. The winner would serve a four-year term.
The superintendent had been elected by voters until 1966, when a referendum changed it to an appointed position.
The other would expand the county commission from seven to nine members. It would eliminate the three at-large districts, whose members are elected by everyone in the county.
That would mean voters — who now can vote on the three at-large districts as well as their own district — would be able to vote for only one seat.
If it's approved by voters, it would also expand the board to 11 members if the population reaches 2.5 million. The county's population is currently around 1.6 million.
Each measure would have to be approved by at least 60% of the voters.
Both bills were filed by Rep. Michael Owen, a Republican from Apollo Beach who is a former county commissioner.
The bill also would require a “majority plus one” vote of the commission for appointing or removing the county administrator, county attorney and county internal auditor, as well as for proposing amendments to the county charter.
