Leon County Commission Gets Update on Trump Executive Orders

At the February 11, 2025, Leon County Commission meeting, the commission heard a report on Gov. Ron DeSantis’s special legislative session and President Donald Trump’s recent immigration actions. Caren Street, a lobbyist from Squire Patton Boggs who represents Leon County, delivered the update.

Commissioners Nick Maddox and Carolyn Cummings conveyed their concern about how Trump’s early executive orders (EO) will affect Leon County.

Ms. Street spent the majority of her presentation updating the commission on the Trump Administration’s EO. She stressed that while the EOs can become law, they are not guaranteed to do so; she noted a few litigation efforts already and also suggested that some of those efforts would end up in the Supreme Court.

The Trump Administration has issued EOs on foreign aid, immigration, energy, tax reform, and DEI. A lot of these EOs are broad, and it is yet unclear how they will affect local governments.

Ms. Street did note that Republicans in Washington, D.C. are considering tax reforms and spending cuts that might increase the taxes for constituents in Leon County. She also noted that the immigration EOs are so broad that it is impossible to say how they will exactly play out at the local level.

Many of the commissioners questioned the federal government’s spending cuts and how they will affect Leon County. Commissioner Rick Minor asked about funding for an infrastructure project concerning roads, which Ms. Street seemed to think would be fine. Commissioner Bill Proctor asked about funding to Florida A&M and specifically noted that the ROTC building is in need of repairs.

Commissioners Maddox and Cummings expressed their concern over the EOs. Commissioner Cummings asked about the effect that a potential tariff war would have on the local economy, while Maddox asked about the polarizing nature of federal politics. He expressed his desire for a more civil form of politics to return—a hope that Ms. Street affirmed.

The National Association of Counties Legislative Conference is set to take place on March 1-4 in Washington, D.C., and it will allow local representatives to engage D.C. lawmakers directly.

While many of these EOs leave us in uncertainty, Ms. Street endeavored to answer the questions of the county commission and provide clarity. She expressed the need and hope for bipartisan efforts as this new presidential administration begins its four years in office.

The commission accepted the update in a unanimous vote.