State representation Allison Tant (D), District 9, represents Leon County's northern half, including most of Tallahassee. Jason Shoaf (R), District 7, represents the county's southern portion. He won office in a special election. Ramon Alexander (D), District 8, represents a west-central portion of the county. State Senator All of Leon County is represented by Loranne Ausley (D), District 3, in the Florida Senate. U.S. Congressional representation Leon County is in two congressional districts. Its northern and eastern portion, including 61% of Tallahassee, is part of the 5th Congressional District, a minority-majority district that extends across northern Florida. It is represented by Al Lawson (D). The remainder of the county (the southeastern corner and 39% of Tallahassee), is part of the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Neal Dunn (R). Consolidation Leon County voters have gone to the polls four times to vote on consolidation of the Tallahassee and Leon County governments into one jurisdiction. This proposal would combine police and other city services with the already shared (consolidated) Tallahassee Fire Department, Tallahassee/Leon County Planning Department, and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee's city limits would (at current size) increase from to . Roughly 36 percent of Leon County's 250,000 residents live outside the Tallahassee city limits. Proponents of consolidation have claimed that the new jurisdiction would attract business by its very size. Merging of governments would cut government waste, duplication of services, etc. Professor Richard Feiock of Florida State University found in a 2007 study that he could not conclude that consolidation would benefit the local economy. Public services Leon County Sheriff The Leon County Sheriff's Office provides police patrol and detective service for the unincorporated part of the county. The sheriff's office also provides court protection and operates the county jail. Fire and emergency medical services are provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County Emergency Medical Services. Tallahassee Police Department Tallahassee is the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. The Tallahassee Police Department provides its policing. Established in 1826, TPD is the country's third-longest-accredited law enforcement agency. Education Higher education Florida State University Florida State University (commonly called Florida State or FSU) is an American public space-grant and sea-grant research university. It has a 1,391.54-acre (5.631-km2) campus in Tallahassee. In 2017, it had nearly 42,000 students. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is on Florida's oldest continuous site