The mixed bag of proposals put forward by Orange County Commissioner Fred Brummer in late February, with implications for amendments to the charter and curtailing even more the people’s voice, will again be the subject of a workshop on April 8, when county commissioners meet.
At the Orange County Commission Board meeting Tuesday, commissioners got an earful from more than 60 residents, many of whom are vehemently opposed to Brummer’s plan which calls for expanding the number of commission seats from six to eight, eliminating the Tax Collector’s position, making county elected offices non-partisan, and tightening the ballot initiative processes, among others. Brummer’s proposal also calls for the initiatives to be placed before voters in a special mail-in ballot election by May 27.
Stephanie Porta, executive director of Organize Now, described Brummer’s plan as a “reckless scheme that will cost tax payers over $1 million and disenfranchise thousands of voters.”
“If this proposal moves forward, the message to Orange County citizens is clear, you have no right to petition your local government and if you do, the commission will either break the law or change the rules, or shut you up,” Porta told the Board, while offering public comments.
Recalling the Textgate debacle where Orange County Commission members subverted the will of the people and kept a sick time petition from being put on the November 6, 2012 ballot, Porta said the proposed Brummer changes, if adopted, will take away the power from the people to decide what goes on the ballot and give complete and final control to the County Commission.
“The proposed changes make a farce of one aspect of our democracy – the right to petition our government,” she said. “…Are you guys so afraid of democracy that works?”
Orlando constitutional-law attorney, Mary Meeks, was just as damning on the Brummer plan, describing it as an abuse of power and backhanded slap to the people of Orange County.
“The Fred Brummer proposal would pervert the County Charter, including among other things, eviscerate the citizens’ initiative process in what is a brazen and unprecedented illegal power grab that exhibits utter disdain and contempt for the citizens of Orange County,” she said. “…I can hardly believe that it is even being seriously considered.”
Meeks, too, chided the Board for not learning the lessons of the Textgate mess and in particular mocked Brummer for the choice of words he used in describing his plan.
“Mr. Brummer says that he wants to ensure our founding document, referring to the County Charter, is not tampered with for narrow, extreme or purely political reasons, obviously ignoring that it was this Board that broke the law and violated the County Charter for purely political reasons,” she said.
“Here in Fred Brummer land human beings are special interests, citizens who want an honest government are extremists and this Board is Big Brother who must be obeyed or else we all disappear,” Meeks charged, drawing on George Orwell’s 1984 words.
Meeks urged Mayor Jacobs to exercise strong leadership and reject the “special interest proposal” put forward by Brummer, so as not to harm the people of Orange County.
Jacobs said, while there are some components of Brummer’s plan that she “fully supports,” there are several elements that she does not favor. She distributed a memorandum before the start of the board meeting outlining her position on the issues.
“First and foremost, I do not support the way this initiative came forward,” Jacobs said in her memorandum. “Rushing these issues to the ballot in less than 60 days does not provide for the type of meaningful public engagement that is crucial to making good decisions and maintaining the public’s trust.”
Jacobs added that she is not in favor of spending over $1 million of public monies to hold a special election when two county-wide races are already scheduled for this fall. She also rejected the appointment of two new commissioners as proposed under the Brummer plan saying, it should be up to the “direct election by the voters of the proposed two new commissioners.”
She believes that making current constitutional positions non-partisan and term limits ought to be brought before the voters during the general election. Also, if the Commission agrees, the matter of the Tax Collector’s position should also be placed before voters.
Jacobs supports changes to the petition amendment process “to ensure that ballot questions are not misleading and that there is adequate time for a full and public debate.” Brummer’s plan calls for increasing the number of petitions needed to put ordinances or charter changes to voters on the ballot.
“I believe that more time is needed for public vetting of ballot initiatives after the signatures are collected and before any resulting election would be held, certainly than the 45 days currently required,” stated Jacobs’ memorandum. “However, I am not convinced that 120 days is the appropriate amount of time.”
No doubt with the sick leave initiative in mind, Jacobs favors petitions going directly on the ballot once the process is completed, rather than coming to the County Commission where they can be blocked.
On April 8, when county commissioners meet in a workshop to discuss changes to the Brummer plan, another public hearing will also be held.
