Marion County issued the following announcement on November 12.
UPDATED: County Commission and School Board Discuss Growth
On Monday, Nov. 8, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners participated in a workshop in conjunction with Marion County Public Schools.
Local municipalities from throughout Marion County were invited to join, including Belleview, Dunnellon, McIntosh, and Reddick.
Several speakers from around the county presented at the workshop, beginning with Marion County’s Growth Services Director Mary Elizabeth Burgess. She shared information about overall population growth within Marion County, reporting that the county’s population increased by 10.3% since 2010, according to 2020 Census data. This growth led to more than 27,000 new residential units being permitted or pending permit in the last 5 years.
Next was David Herlihy, the planning & governmental relations manager for Marion County Public Schools. Herlihy said he anticipates low enrollment growth in Marion County schools, estimating only 50-350 enrollments a year, and he explained that student enrollment has been on a downward trend for some time.
Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, also presented at the workshop. Reminding the county commissioners and school board members that teachers, bus drivers, and paraprofessionals will all need affordable housing to live where they work, Sheilley noted that the definitive cost of affordable housing in Marion County is now at $220,000.
Next on the list was Rob Balmes, Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization director, who presented information regarding the growth in Marion County and the county’s commitment to preventing accidents on local roadways with continued growth.
Finally, Assistant County Administrator of Public Services Angel Roussel presented information about the upcoming American Rescue Plan and assured both boards that communication infrastructure is on the radar for the county. He further explained that the county currently has a request for proposal, and the county should have a contract in place by January with a consultant to do a feasibility study on the unserved and underserved areas in the county that need communication infrastructure.
At the end of the workshop, the two boards discussed updating the 2008 interlocal agreement between the agencies.
For more information on this meeting or to review county commission meetings, visit marionfl.org/agendas.
Original source can be found here.
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