County Government Overview
Commissioners will learn the broader role of county government, encompassing all constitutional officers, not just the board — and the separation of powers at the local level, including the board’s legislative function, the administrator’s executive role, the county attorney’s advisory function, and commissioners’ quasi-judicial responsibilities.
County 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.
County Growth Management & Quality of Life
This class covers Florida comprehensive planning, zoning, and growth management, and how land use decisions translate into infrastructure and fiscal obligations. It examines the shifting landscape of state preemptions and their impact on local control, then turns to quality-of-life services — parks, libraries, and arts and culture — and how counties fund and defend them under budget pressure.
County Public Works, Infrastructure & Transportation
This class gives commissioners a practical grounding in the public works functions that keep the county running, including solid waste, stormwater, water/sewer/ septic, and transportation and mobility.
County Health, Safety & Justice
This comprehensive two-part course covers the operational and funding realities behind public safety and human services. Part one covers emergency management, fire and EMS, sheriff funding, corrections and jail operations, and the board’s funding relationship with constitutional officers. Part two addresses the county role in Medicaid cost-sharing, indigent care, veteran services, homelessness response, and affordable housing — including the nonprofit role in extending county capacity.
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.
Leading Public Meetings
This course equips commissioners with practical tools for open meeting requirements, parliamentary procedure, working with the media, and de-escalation techniques for high-stakes hearings and disruptive speakers. Completing the course provides participants with the basic tools for leading meetings with confidence, fairness, and composure — even when the room gets heated.
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.
