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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services
| Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | 2 consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Florida Constitution, Article IV, Section 4 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Adam Putnam |
| Officeholder Party: | Republican |
| Assumed office: | January 4, 2011 |
| Compensation: | $128,972 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other Florida Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Chief Financial Officer•Commissioner of Education•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Environmental Protection Secretary•Economic Opportunity Director•Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current commissioner is Adam Putnam, a Republican, who was first elected in the November 2, 2010 general elections and officially took office on January 4, 2011. Putnam will face re-election, if he chooses to run, in 2014.
Before becoming commissioner, Putnam was a five-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Florida's 12th District from 2001-2010. During his time in the House, he served as chairman of the House Republican Conference and sat on the House Committees on Government Reform, Rules, Agriculture and Financial Services. Before his time in Congress, Putnam served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1996-2001. He holds a B.A. from the University of Florida in food and resource economics.[1][2]
Putnam and his wife, Melissa, have four children and reside in Putnam's hometown of Bartow, FL. He is an Episcopalian.
Authority
The office of commissioner of agriculture is established by the Florida Constitution.
Florida Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
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(a) There shall be a cabinet composed of an attorney general, a chief financial officer, and a commissioner of agriculture. ... (d) The commissioner of agriculture shall have supervision of matters pertaining to agriculture except as otherwise provided by law. |
Qualifications
There are no particular qualifications required of commissioners of agriculture.
Elections
The commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, per Article IV, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution, is elected to four year terms during federal midterm election years (2006, 2010, 2014, etc.). Winning candidates take office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January in the year following their election.
Term limits
Like all members of the state cabinet, including the governor and attorney general, the commissioner is limited to two consecutive terms. After remaining out of office for one term, a former commissioner may once again run for his old office.
Vacancies
The governor fills vacancies in the office of commissioner by appointment. If there are less than 28 months remaining in the current term, the appointee holds office for the remainder of the term. Otherwise, a new permanent officeholder is chosen in the next general election the appointee's term lasts until the first Tuesday after the first Monday following that election. Details of vacancy appointments are laid out in Article IV, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution.
Duties
The commissioner heads the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, an agglomeration of 13 divisions and 5 offices involved in the regulation and promotion of Florida's agriculture and consumer services industries. FDACS agencies establish rules for the state's animal, aquaculture, forestry, and produce industries, license producers, provide marketing support for the state's agribusinesses, and oversee emergency preparedness and law enforcement efforts covering the agriculture industry.
In addition to its agricultural duties, the department regulates various consumer services businesses, including motor vehicle repair shops, charitable organizations, dance studios, pawnshops, telemarketers, and several others.
Divisions
Divisions:
- Administration
- Agricultural Environmental Services
- Animal Industry
- Aquaculture
- Consumer Services
- Food Safety
- Forestry
- Fruit and Vegetables
- Licensing
- Marketing and Development
- Plant Industry
- Standards
Offices:
- Agricultural Emergency Preparedness
- Agricultural Law Enforcement
- Agricultural Water Policy
- Office of Energy
- Office of Inspector General
Compensation
In 2010, the commissioner received compensation in the amount of $128,972.
Contact info
Mailing Address:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 488-3022
See also
External links
References
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