Village special election faces Tuesday deadline

Charter changes to be decided

By Eunice Ponce, [email protected]. Pinecrest.

The Pinecrest Village Council reminded residents at Monday night’s meeting that the deadline for returning ballots in the village’s special election is Tuesday.

The ballots, which have been arriving in Pinecrest mailboxes since mid-April, offer residents a chance to vote on proposed changes to the laws that govern the village.

The mail-in ballots have to be postmarked by Tuesday. They also can be dropped off in person at ballot boxes at Village Hall, 11551 S. Dixie Hwy., or at the county Elections Department, 111 NW First St.

The proposed changes were put together by the Charter Revision Commission - a group of five residents nominated by council members to review the laws and see where they might need some tweaking.

Councilwoman Cindie Blanck served on the commission as a nonvoting member.

The group came up with eight proposed changes, two of which were just “cleanups” of the laws - mostly housekeeping for clarity and renumbering of some sections, and the removal of an outdated section that dealt with the village’s transition from unincorporated area to municipality.

The other six proposed changes are:

• Elimination of area residency requirement: Currently, candidates running for office in Pinecrest must have lived continuously for at least a year in the area they plan to represent. The recommended change would eliminate that area requirement, but would still require the candidates to have lived somewhere in the village for at least a year before running.
• Resolving election ties: Village law currently does not contain provisions for resolving election ties. The recommended change would state that if a tie occurs, it will be decided by drawing straws, with the person drawing the longest straw winning.
• Charter Revision Commission: The laws currently call for a charter review process every 10 years. The recommended change would make that every six years, starting in 2006.
• Selection of vice mayor: Currently, the Village Council elects one of its members to serve as vice mayor every year. The recommended change would require the council to adopt a legal procedure for the yearly selection.
• Death of candidate: Currently, the laws do not provide for a new qualifying period or special election if a candidate for office dies or is removed from the ballot after the qualifying period ends. The recommended change would require a new qualifying period and special election if a candidate dies or is removed and it leaves fewer than two candidates on the ballot.
• Term limits: The current limit for mayor and council members is two consecutive terms and a maximum eight consecutive years in office. The recommended change would make that three consecutive terms and a maximum of 12 consecutive years in office.

Gary Matzner, who chaired this year’s review process and also sat on the committee that drafted the original charter, said the group found the process to be “a worthwhile effort” - part of the reason they decided it would be better to do it every six years.

He also said the proposal that had drawn the most debate is the one in favor of longer term limits.

“In two years, we’ll have three members up - the mayor and two others,” Matzner said. “They’ve done a great job. On the other hand, there are people out there who want the opportunity to participate and to serve, so that’s really the rub. People ought to really take a hard look at that one.”

In other business Monday:

• The council kicked off design and renovation work at the future, temporary home for Village Hall at 12645 S. Dixie Hwy. All village staff except the police department will be moving to that site as soon as construction ends, giving police the opportunity to expand and take over all the space now being leased at the Suniland Shopping Plaza.
• Council members once again discussed the possibility of eventually making the Parrot Jungle site a permanent home for Village Hall. The council voted 3-2, with Mayor Evelyn Greer and Councilman Barry Blaxberg voting against, to look at a sample, mail-in straw ballot at the next council meeting that would put that question to all residents in a special election later this year.