BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
In a move prompted by the state of Florida, Bradford County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement consolidating CareerSource North Central Florida and Florida Crown.
This decision aligns with a recommendation by CareerSource Florida to the governor’s office, aiming to streamline workforce services, reduce duplication and enhance efficiency across the region.
Still operating under the name CareerSource North Central Florida, the new entity includes Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist and Union counties, bringing a more unified approach to workforce development in the region.
The interlocal agreement outlines the structure and governance of the new workforce board. One commissioner from each county will serve on the Council of Elected Officials, which will largely dictate policy. They will also select the members of the workforce board from businesses and entities throughout the workforce region. Some decisions will be made jointly between the two boards, including budget approval.
Alachua County will serve as the administrative entity, with workforce employees, including the chief executive officer, “housed” as Alachua County employees. Alachua’s finance office will provide fiscal services, and their equal opportunity manager will serve as equal opportunity manager for workforce.
Per the agreement, Phyllis Marty will continue as CEO of CareerSource NCFL for at least two years to ensure an orderly transition. She will report directly to the workforce board.
Marty said the consolidation has been two and a half years in the making. They have gone “back and forth” addressing the concerns from each county, she said, including the original agreement’s provision that most of the elected officials represented would be from Alachua County. The approved agreement is one county, one vote.
The counties will not be responsible for funding workforce initiatives, and liability insurance should ensure that the counties are not obligated to pay costs incurred by the workforce board. Bradford recently reimbursed more than $113,000 in disallowed costs from the third-party that formerly served as the administrative entity during Fiscal Years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Restructuring since that time has assured several checks and balances, according to Marty.
“We monitor internally. We contract with an external monitor in addition to our state monitoring. And we have audits, and we have approval processes within the offices of management and budget of Alachua County, all the way to the clerk of court who pays the bills. So, we have so many checks and balances in place that the insurance would kind of be a moot point, but it’s there to cover it just in case,” she said.
Marty said CareerSource NCFL will continue to have one of its four full-service offices in Starke. Grant funding is supporting a needs assessment of all six counties. It’s possible staffing could be arranged in other areas by placing a satellite office within a partner agency.
