Mary Lindsey has written a Proclamation regarding the new Redistricting proposed by the Florida Legislature that will affect Lake Worth in a significant way. She is asking the City Commission to consider taking a stand. I agree with this proclamation and support it and ask that the Lake Worth City Commission adopt this or something similar as quickly as possible.
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, The City of Lake Worth City was incorporated as a municipality within Palm Beach County, in the State of Florida on June 4, 1913; and
WHEREAS, The City of Lake Worth is desirous of unified and dedicated representation in the Florida House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, 3,155,148 qualified electors of the State of Florida voted to approve Amendment 5 to the Florida Constitution in the November 2, 2010 General Election by 61.12%, and
WHEREAS, 256,989 qualified electors of Palm Beach County voted to approve Amendment 5 to the Florida Constitution in the November 2, 2010 General Election by 71.6%; and
WHEREAS, 3,446 qualified electors of the City of Lake Worth voted to approve Amendment 5 to the State of Florida Constitution in the November 2, 2010 General Election by 67.1%; and
WHEREAS, Amendment 5, has been duly adopted and made the law of the land as Article III, Section 21 of the State Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Article III, Section 21 of the State Constitution states:
“Legislative districts or districting plans may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.” and
WHEREAS, The proposed house redistricting plan violates the letter and spirit of Article III, Section 21 to the Florida Constitution by dividing the City of Lake Worth into small parts of four separate districts. and
WHEREAS, The proposed House redistricting Plan dissipates and fragments the advocacy of issues relating to the entire City of Lake Worth which may come before the Florida House of Representatives for the next ten years.
NOW, THEREFORE, We, the City Commission of Lake Worth, Florida, by virtue of the authority and responsibility of the legislative office we hold on behalf of all the Residents of the City of Lake Worth, do hereby implore and entreat the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Justice Department to reject this plan and respect the existing city and geographical boundaries of the City of Lake Worth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, We have hereunto set our hand and caused the Seal of the City of Lake Worth, Florida, to be affixed this 7th Day of February, 2012.
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Pam Triolo, Mayor
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Scott Maxwell, Vice Mayor
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Christopher McVoy, Commissioner, District 2
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Andy Amoroso, Commissioner, District 3
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Suzanne Mulvehill, Commissioner, District 4
ATTEST:
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Pamela J. Lopez, City Clerk
4 comments:
Can someone please explain the redistricting and how it can affect the City of Lake Worth? What are the thoughts? What is best for us? Should we have the entire city's population with the same rep?
To simplify this strange set of events that has been proposed in the Florida Legislature is--
the fact that our little 5 mile square or 6 or 7 miles city, depending on whose demographics, will now be represented by 4 Florida representatives instead of one. Our interests will be splintered and divided depending upon the politics of that representative and where you are located in LW. Here where I live, we will be bundled in with Belle Glade. I do not think those out here on Lake Osborne have much in common with Belle Glade. It is much easier to deal with one representative than four. Lake Worth is a small city and should not be sacrificed in this manner for politics. Our interests are much better served with one rep. because dividing our city in this fashion, only be 25% of the voices will be heard by that representative, if we are lucky, if he listens at all. We are being squeezed out of any significance whatsoever by the FL Legislature and marginalized.
Mary also thought it was a great idea to fire Susan Stanton. Any thoughts on that?
Firing someone is taking the easy way out. No one put Stanton on notice to improve or change whatever this commission did not like. I do support giving someone a chance to improve but not multiple chances as given to the Utility customer service employees as an example, something that Mary and I disagreed on.
We don't always agree particularly when it comes to Lake Worth but when we do I will be the first to admit it and support the action.
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