Frequently Asked Questions about LEE GROWS

Q   What is the scope of the program ?? What local governments will be discussed ??
A   There are 165 taxing authorities in Lee County  examples - Lee County government, Mosquito Control, the School District, 5 city governments, 20 independent fire district and 137 others.

The LeeGROWS program examines just one of the 165 taxing authorities --- the Lee County Board of County Commissioners ( A.K.A. Lee County government) and the offices that it funds--the Constitutional Offices such as the Sheriff' s Office, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Elections Office, Clerk of Circuit Courts, Medical Examiner, State Attorney and the Public Defender.

Q   Who typically are the speakers who make each department's presentations ??
A   During the 5 week program, there are presentations by 32 departments.   Most presentations are done by the staff of the department who do the daily 'hands -on' work. However, LeeGROWS classes usually meet several elected officials .... one county commissioner and several constitutional officers quite often do the presentation for their office.

Q   So then, if I'm a citizen enrolled in the LeeGROWS program, I'll be sitting in a classroom for 5 weeks listening to one lecture and prepared speech after another by government employees ??
A   Not at all. Most of the presentations are 'on site' at one of the department's facilities. After the staff presentation there is always a question and answer period. Most of the departments include a tour of the facility after the presentation.

Q    During the LeeGROWS program will I be able to debate the issues of the day with the county staff and the citizens enrolled in the class ??
A     In its most simple form, the LeeGROWS program is about "following the money." Traditionally, citizens pay their taxes and always wonder....'what do those government guys do with all of my money?'

Lee County government has an annual $ 2.3 billion budget. By having the presentations, Q and A sessions and tours,  citizens get to see where the money is spent. So LeeGROWS is about the daily operations of Lee County government. It is not about debating the issues of the day.

Citizens who are interested in doing that already have a forum for such debate.  They can attend weekly Board of County Commissioners meetings that allow citizen input, call and write letters to your elected officials, be on one of the County Commissioners 99+ advisory committees, write letters to the editor of your favorite newspaper, take advantage of blogging and chat rooms on the internet, etc.

There are a lot of ways to debate the issues of the day............................. but there's only one way to get an in depth, hands on review of the daily operations of Lee County government .... and that is to participate in LeeGROWS program.

Q    After I register, what happens next ??
A    When individuals register, they usually request a specific month of the year they would like to attend the LeeGROWS program. So let's say you register in February but really want to attend the June/July class that begins in mid June. Early in June you will receive an invitation letter to attend the June/July class.

Q    If I know in advance I'm going to miss one or two sessions during my class .... can I still attend the other days ?? Can I make up the missed sessions ??
A    Yes to both questions. You'll receive details on "make up" sessions once you are enrolled in a specific class and attend your first session.

Q    Can individuals with limited mobility (cane, walker, wheelchair, etc.) attend the LeeGROWS program ??
A     Absolutely. We can be very flexible in accommodating individuals with limited mobility. Over the years, numerous citizens with canes, walkers and wheelchairs have attended the LeeGROWS program.

Q    Is there a lot of walking involved ??
A    There are tours each week and thus some walking on each of the 5 LeeGROWS sessions. Some days there is more walking than others.  5400+  individuals have gone through the program and 99 % were able to handle the amount of walking. For those who were unable on some specific tours, they usually just "took a pass" on that tour and sat in the presentation classroom or back on the bus.

Q     Do you cancel many sessions because of weather ??
A     Hardly ever. During the 21 year history of LeeGROWS there have been fewer than 10 days canceled, almost always because of a hurricane threat.