Essentials of County Government
This in-depth course is designed to help officials transition into their new governing roles. Participants will gain an understanding of the wide range of topics that are important for their job including legal requirements, nature of county organization, finance and budget, and strategies for success in this role.
County Government Structure & Authority
This course looks at the authority that has been granted to counties by all sources, including the citizens. Participants will broaden their knowledge of county government form and function, of state government and how it relates to federal government, and of mandates and the impact they have on counties.
County Government Roles & Responsibilities
This course looks at the functions of county government, Participants will better understand state mandated county government services including public safety, transportation and health and human services.
Financial Management
This course provides guidance for commissioners to better manage their county’s fiscal affairs. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the state’s fiscal trends, budgeting process, revenue sources available to their counties and the what, when and how to issue debt.
Growth Management & Land Use Decisions
This course is designed to give commissioners an understanding of the history of land use planning in Florida and how we got where we are today. Participants will learn the realities of implementing comprehensive plans including how amendments, development approvals, and exceptions should be handled.
Ethics, Public Records & Sunshine Laws
(Mandatory Core Class)
This course is designed to give Commissioners an understanding of Florida’s stringent laws. Participants
will broaden their knowledge of ethics requirement for elected officials, understand the Sunshine Law and Public Record Law, learn about reporting requirements, and become familiar with the process of an ethics complaint. All Commissioners are required to take 4 hours of ethics each calendar year.
Flood Smart Florida
Over the last decade, local and regional flood
events have become increasingly more
frequent and intense in all parts of Florida. In
fact, non-hurricane flooding has become one
of the state’s more frequent hazards, with FEMA
reporting that more than 40% of all flood
damage claims occur outside a mapped flood
zone. The Florida Division of Emergency
Management reports that, between 2011 and
2021, more than 500 flood events, including
flashfloods, impacted the state and created more
than $1 billion in damages. County officials play
a critical role in making their communities safer
and more resistant to disaster. Identifying their
community’s flood hazards and then acting to
reduce those risks along with managing to a
higher standard will result in a stronger, more
resilient community. This video course provides
a basic overview of the county’s role in flood
awareness, flood mitigation, and the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
UF-IFAS: Your County Partner
This short course is an introduction to the University
of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(UF|IFAS) - a federal-state-county partnership dedicated
to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and
natural resources, and the life sciences. With offices
in each of Florida’s 67 counties, including 12 Research/
Education Centers (RECs) and Research and Demonstration
Sites (RDSs). The geographic footprint of IFAS
is extensive. What is perhaps equally extensive is the
range of its research and programs that include natural
resource management, agribusiness and food supply,
aquaculture, forestry, disaster preparedness, water
quality, landscaping, and even artificial intelligence.
