December 3, 2007

ISSUE 1195

REPORT CRITICAL OF DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS

In a report issued Nov. 16, the Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability said the Florida Department of Citrus had failed to meet its 2006-2007 performance goals and recommended several possible courses of action. One possibility would be to integrate its functions into the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The department’s executive director, Ken Keck, said the 2006-07 goals were set before the fiscal year began and most of the shortfalls were caused by events beyond the department’s control, including continuing fallout from the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes.

The purpose of the report was to review the department’s performance and lay out possible options, not to make specific recommendations to the Legislature.