Sarasota News Leader

12/28/2012

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Sarasota News Leader December 28, 2012 Page 58 SEPT. 10 SEPT. 11 ���A lot of this activity this evening seems to be somewhat scripted,��� Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton says toward the end of the commission���s first public budget hearing. Upon advice of County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh, the Sarasota County Commission this week votes unanimously to settle the lawsuit it filed against the state over efforts to collect disputed Medicaid payments. However, commissioners say they believe the counties need to continue to press the point that state billing methods have to improve. DeMarsh points out that the 57 counties that participated in the lawsuit with the Florida Association of Counties succeeded in their effort to force state officials to address inefficiencies in the process used to obtain the Medicaid payments. The collection effort was prompted by a Florida Legislature bill covering Medicaid bills from 2001 through April 2012. On Aug. 20, the commission voted to pay $3,570,168 in Medicaid bills state officials said it had linked to county residents, a 44 percent reduction from the original total the county had faced. Indeed, it was literally scripted. The budget document the commission was working from contained a ���script��� from which Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson and county staffers read. And since there were zero public comments about the budget, which contains a 1.6 percent tax increase because of a raise in the mosquito control rate, the commission zips through the hearing, closing things down after just 36 minutes. But that does not mean there are no surprises: Robinson votes against the proposed millage rates, the only ���No��� vote on the five-member commission, while still thanking county staff for putting together the budget plan. When asked about her vote, Robinson cites the lump-sum money payment to county employees as one reason she could not support this year���s budget. ���I greatly appreciate how hard our employees work,��� she writes in an email. ���I see the amazing things they do for our citizens everyday. But until we see our revenue stream stabilize, I could not support any type of lump sum payout or raise.��� SEPT. 12 The vote is split, but the Sarasota County Emergency Services staff receives the goahead to advertise a request for proposals for a consultant to help staff work out design specifications for a new public safety radio Sarasota County commissioners head into fall with more big-ticket items on their agenda, including decisions about Siesta Public Beach and the replacement of the county���s emergency communications system. Photo by Norman Schimmel

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