“We’re trying to bring Levy County out of the ’70s and ’80s.”
By Linda Dean Cooper
Commissioner Charlie Kennedy raised concerns during the March 3 BOCC meeting about outdated county policies, including the county’s employee drug-testing rules.
During Commissioner Reports at the March 3 Levy County Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Charlie Kennedy raised concerns that some county policies may still reflect an earlier era of county government.
Kennedy pointed to the county’s current employee drug-testing policy, suggesting it may no longer match how the county operates today.
Currently, drug testing generally applies only to employees who hold Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL).
Kennedy said that approach may be too limited.
“Just because we made a rule a long time ago, that don’t mean that rule still applies today.”
— Commissioner Charlie Kennedy—
Kennedy’s Key Points to the Commission
During his remarks, Kennedy outlined several concerns:
1. Drug testing currently limited
“The only people that get drug tested in the county right now are people with CDL licenses.”
2. County vehicle operators should be included
“If you’re able to drive a county car or pick up a truck, you should be in that pool.”
3. Safety concerns
“You can kill somebody just as fast in a car or pickup truck.”
4. Policies may be decades old
“Just because some of these policies were wrote in the ’70s or ’80s, there’s things that changed and they need to be tweaked.”
5. Time to revisit outdated rules
“Just because we made a rule a long time ago, that don’t mean that rule still applies today.”
Kennedy indicated the issue would likely require a policy update and suggested the board begin reviewing certain county policies.
He mentioned workshops as one-way commissioners could review policies and discuss potential changes before bringing them forward for formal action.
No motion was made and no action was taken during the meeting, and the topic did not appear as a scheduled agenda item.
However, Kennedy’s remarks place the issue squarely in the public record and raise several practical questions.
If some Levy County policies date back to the 1970s and 1980s, taxpayers may reasonably ask:
• Will the board formally review these outdated policies?
• Will county attorneys and Human Resources examine how other Florida counties handle employee drug-testing policies?
• Should employees who operate county vehicles be included in the drug-testing pool for safety and liability reasons?
• Or will the issue raised during Commissioner Reports simply fade without further discussion?
For now, Kennedy’s remarks place the issue on the public record. Whether the board takes the next step remains to be seen.
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Posted March 7, 2026 | Spotlight on Levy County Government
