Public invited to share their vision of county's future

County Commission Chairman Scott Carnahan said he’s not a fan of strategic planning sessions because they are never acted upon.

“It’s hogwash,” he said.

There’s never any follow-through, he said, because boards change and priorities change.

“To me, it’s a waste of time,” Carnahan said.

A better option, he said, is to work on redoing the county’s land development code and comprehensive plan. The comp plan, as it is often called, is a massive document that is the blueprint that drives all aspects of growth regulation in Citrus County and it hasn't been updated since 1990.

Commissioner Jeff Kinnard said he didn’t know if recommendations in the past were acted on but getting the public input at these strategic planning sessions “is absolutely essential.”

He said it is the commissioners' job as elected officials to listen to the public.

“It’s too easy for elected officials to have a degree of disconnect from the public,” Kinnard said. 

The first forum is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Citrus Springs Community Center, 1570 W. Citrus Springs Blvd.

An additional forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the College of Central Florida’s Citrus Campus at 3800 County Road 491 in Lecanto.

After input has been evaluated and the strategic planning process is complete, a formal document and presentation will be delivered to county commissioners.