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Item C BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ADD-ON -11:45 A.M. Meeting Date: January 6. 2004 Division: Mayor Murray Nelson Bulk Item: Yes No -1L Department: Mayor Murray Nelson AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Recognition to Representative Ken Sorensen for receiving the Florida Association of Counties (F AC) County Champion Award. ITEM BACKGROUND: This award recognizes those legislators who have distinguished themselves by working to resolve critical issues affecting counties. Representative Sorensen helped defeat legislation that would have diverted funds used for intergovernmental radio communications systems, was instrumental in protecting local governments from harmful legislation which sought to alter the Bert 1. Harris, Private Property Rights Act, and supported legislation that would have provided counties additional resources to effectively address local and regional transportation needs. Representative Sorensen has distinguished himself as a "County Champion" by his cormnitment to support county government and the legislative principles ofFAC. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: -0- BUDGETED: Yes No COST TO COUNTY: -0- SOURCE OF FUNDS: REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No AMOUNTPERMONTH_ Year APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMB/Purchasing _ Risk Management _ DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: /t... ~ , ,/. './' -t '7 '-- Lc_./:.2-G~, or Murray Nelson DOCUMENTATION: Included X To Follow Not Required_ DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM # FLORIDA ASSOCIA TION OF COUNTIES. P.O. Box 549/ Tallahassee, Florida 32302 Phone: 8501922-4300 Suncom: 292-4300 FAX: 850/488-7501 Website: www.n-counties.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2003 CONTACT: Carol Bracy, Legislative Director (850) 922-4300 FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE TO RECEIVE FAC COUNTY CHAMPION AWARD TALLAHASSEE - Because of his extraordinary efforts on behalf of the Florida's counties during the 2003 Legislative Session, Representative Ken Sorensen (R) representing district 120 which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, has earned the Florida Association of Counties' (FAC) County Champion Award. Representative Sorensen is among twelve legislators honored this year. This award recognizes those legislators who have distinguished themselves by working to resolve critical issues affecting counties. As Chairman of the House Local Government & Veteran's Affairs Committee, Representative Sorensen helped defeat legislation that would have diverted funds used for intergovernmental radio communications systems. The radio systems are used by counties to communicate with various local agencies and communities during an emergency. Without these funds, counties would not be able to effectively maintain and operate the systems. Representative Sorensen was also instrumental in protecting local governments from harmful legislation which sought to alter the Bert J. Harris, Private Property Rights Act. The proposed bill would have applied retroactively to 1995, eliminating existing language relating to governmental sovereign immunity, while also changing the statute of limitations and ripeness provisions of the Harris Act. Representative Sorensen ensured that the legislation was amended to delete language detrimental to counties and made certain that no other bills were used as vehicles for the unfavorable provisions. Finally, Representative Sorensen supported legislation that would have provided counties additional resources to effectively address local and regional transportation needs. This legislation would have re-directed to counties approximately $50 million in local gas tax revenues that currently go to the state, giving counties the option of indexing their local gas taxes to annual changes in the consumer price index (CPI) providing local governments more that $70 million over a five year period. This change would have given counties the same authority the state has enjoyed for nearly 10 years. Representative Sorensen has without a doubt distinguished himself as a "County Champion" by his commitment to support county government and the legislative principles of FAC. ### The Florida Association of Counties, headquartered in downtown Tallahassee, is a non-partisan statewide association dedicated to the representation, research and reporting of county government in Florida. I NARYKAYCARISEO I CHUCKDUNNICK I c. GUYNAXCY I CUFFTHAELL I WELTONG. CADWELL I KAREN T. NARCUS I Executive Director Pruident President-Elect 1"' Vice Preaident z>d Vice President Immedi.te P..t Preaident OSCEOLA HIGHLANDS LEON LAKE PALN BEACH COUNTY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR LEGISLATIVE AWARD SCRIPT REPRESENTATIVE KEN SORENSEN DESPITE ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COUNTIES FACED DURING THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT COUNTIES WERE SUCCESSFUL ON A NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES AND PRIORITIES THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, MANY OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATOR WE ARE RECOGNIZING TODAY. ON BEHALF OF THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, WE ARE PROUD TO HONOR REPRESENTATIVE KEN SORENSEN FOR HIS STRONG COMMITMENT TO RESOLVING THE CRITICAL ISSUES AFFECTING COUNTIES THIS PAST SESSION. REPRESENTATIVE SORENSEN SERVES DISTRICT 120, WHICH INCLUDES PARTS OF MIAMI-DADE AND MONROE COUNTIES. HE WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN 1998 AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND VETERAN' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. HE SERVES ON NUMEROUS COMMITTEES INCLUDING THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE; THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SECURITY; SELECT COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL DEFENSE & SPACE-RELATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; SELECT COMMITTEE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AND THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. AS CHAIRMAN OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE SORENSEN PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN DEFEATING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE DIVERTED FUNDS USED FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RADIO COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS. THE RADIO SYSTEMS ARE USED BY COUNTIES TO COMMUNICATE WITH VARIOUS LOCAL AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES DURING AN EMERGENCY. WITHOUT THESE FUNDS, COUNTIES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THESE SYSTEMS. REPRESENTATIVE SORENSEN WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN PROTECTING COUNTIES AND CITIES FROM HARMFUL LEGISLATION WHICH SOUGHT TO ALTER THE BERT J. HARRIS, PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS ACT. THE PROPOSED BILL WOULD HAVE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY TO 1995, ELIMINATING EXISTING LANGUAGE RELATING TO GOVERNMENTAL SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY, WHILE ALSO CHANGING THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AND RIPENESS PROVISIONS OF THE HARRIS ACT. REPRESENTATIVE SORENSEN ENSURED THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS AMENDED TO DELETE LANGUAGE DETRIMENTAL TO COUNTIES AND MADE CERTAIN THAT NO OTHER LEGISLATION WAS USED AS A VEHICLE FOR THE UNFAVORABLE PROVISIONS. FINALL V, REPRESENTATIVE SORENSEN ALSO STOOD TALL FOR COUNTIES IN OPPOSING UNFUNDED MANDATES. HE PUBLlCL V OPPOSED CLOSE TO $300 MILLION IN PROPOSED COST SHIFTS TO COUNTIES. THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IS PLEASED TO HONOR REPRESENTATIVE KEN SORENSEN FOR HIS SUPPORT OF COUNTIES DURING THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING REPRESENTATIVE KEN SORENSEN.