Single Member Districts Fails
Tie Vote on 1st Reading Spells Failure – for now
by Anne Mooney / November 12, 2020
With only four Commissioners present at the November 11 meeting, the ordinance to put Single Member Districts (SMD) to a vote on the March 9, 2021, ballot failed on a 2 – 2 vote. Commissioners Marty Sullivan and Sheila DeCiccio voted in favor. Mayor Steve Leary and Vice Mayor Carolyn Cooper voted against. Commissioner Todd Weaver was absent because of illness.
Ironically, the measure failed twice. First, Cooper moved to deny putting the measure on the ballot. Cooper and Leary voted for; Sullivan and DeCiccio voted against. Immediately following, Sullivan moved to approve putting the measure on the ballot – with the same result.
The Devil is in the Details
Changing the basis of a city’s governance, one that seems to have served the city well for more than 130 years, is complicated – and scary. Just the thought of change can cause anxiety in most people.
That’s not to say change is bad, or that a city can’t change its mode of governance. But it is a difficult and complex task, one that does not happen quickly or easily. Each question seems to give rise to five others. How will districts be drawn? Who will draw them? What data is available to do this in an equitable way? After all, the most recent Census data is now 10 years old. What happens if we annex another neighborhood? What if no candidate files to run in a particular district? In the case of SMD, more than most, the devil is in the details.
Voters Still Want Info about SMD
Despite its defeat last night, email and Facebook traffic indicate that Winter Park voters still want information about what SMD might mean for Winter Park. At a virtual information session conducted by the Coalition for Access and Representation (CFAR) Monday night, Jamie Joyce of the Society Library, a non-partisan non-profit 501(c)(3), presented a white paper that laid out the arguments for and against SMD in Winter Park. The event, including the white paper, can be viewed here. https://www.facebook.com/Coalition-For-Access-and-Representation-CFAR-103882477624971/ What follows is a summary of the arguments Ms. Joyce presented for and against SMD in Winter Park.
Winter Park should have Single Member Districts, because . . .
It promotes civic engagement.
District elections might improve community participation if candidates are more engaged with a particular community. Under-represented constituents will be more likely to participate if they know they are truly represented.
Con: All commissioners should be accountable to all citizens. With SMD, a citizen will technically have only one representative, plus the Mayor, on the commission.
SMD improves racial diversity in representation.
SMD will give Winter Park residents the opportunity to elect a person of color.
Con: In any fairly drawn district in terms of population size, the Winter Park African American population would not achieve a majority. The opportunity to elect a person of color to the Commission is not dependent on SMD, but on the qualifications and appeal of the individual candidate.
SMD improves economic diversity of representation.
Because it is less expensive to campaign in a single district, people at a lower income can afford to run for office.
SMD improves geographic representation.
Single member districts ensure geographic representation.
Con: Geographic representation, in and of itself, still may not ensure representation for under-served ethnic populations like Winter Park African Americans who, because of West Side gentrification, are no longer concentrated in a single small area.
What’s to lose?
If the ordinance is put on the ballot, then it’s up to the voters to decide, freeing the Commissioners from having to make the decision.
Con: Winter Park voters are not educated on this issue; it’s a waste of their time.
Answer to the Con: Then educate them; it’s their civic duty to become informed.
Answer to the answer: Four months is too little time, especially without knowing what the districts would look like.
SMD makes Commissioners more accountable.
Commissioners can be more easily held accountable by localized citizens.
Con: Only the mayor and one Commissioner will be accountable to any given citizen, thereby reducing accountability of the Commission as a whole.
SMD ensures localized issues will receive attention.
Commissioners would be more in touch with issues affecting their constituents.
Con: This will lead to Commissioners putting localized issues ahead of the needs of the whole City.
Builds more effective constituent relationships.
SMD improves overall responsiveness to local issues.
Con: Winter Park Commission already performs well in response to constituent concerns.
Makes elections more free and fair.
Because the cost of a single-district campaign is less, there would be less reliance on contributions from special interests.
Con: Because the cost of a single-district campaign is less, it will be easier for special interests to ‘buy’ an election.
SMD is a more progressive form of government.
Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg cited at large voting, along with racial gerrymandering, as a preeminent second-generation way to deny equal opportunity for minority voters and candidates. A number of local jurisdictions in FL and across the country who traditionally used at large systems have faced federal lawsuits to force a switch to a district-based system as part of the Voting Rights Act.
Con: At just over 7 percent, the minority population of Winter Park is too small for SMD to make any difference.
If we don’t vote on it now, we’ll miss the chance.
If the Commission does not put this ordinance on the ballot now, they are unlikely to consider it again unless some special circumstance arises.
Con: It is still possible to put the ordinance on the ballot through a petition. There is still time to conduct enough information sessions to inform the public.
Winter Park should not have Single Member Districts, because . . .
It’s not the right time.
This is an emotional time for the country, and decisions about government should not be swayed by emotion.
Con: There are good non-emotional reasons to support the ballot initiative.
It won’t achieve the goals it was meant to achieve.
If the goal is to increase the chances of electing an African American commissioner, in any fairly drawn district in terms of population size, the African American population of Winter Park could not achieve a majority, if that’s what it takes to ensure the election of an African American commissioner.
Con: Just because SMD will not ensure the election of an African American commissioner does not mean SMD still is not best for the city and won’t lead to increased diversity in city government.
The electorate doesn’t really want it.
Vice Mayor Cooper noted she had received more than 230 emails from residents about backyard chickens, compared with 26 emails about SMD (five of which came from people who were not Winter Park residents).
Con: Emails to the Vice Mayor is only one indicator. CFAR’s Barbara Chandler has collected more than 100 signatures in support of the motion.
All groups are fairly represented in Winter Park.
Historically, candidates, both successful and failed, have come from fairly distributed parts of the city.
Con: No African American has been elected to the Commission in 133 years.
It’s the wrong cause.
Not enough ethnically and economically diverse candidates are running for office in Winter Park.
Con: It’s likely because of how expensive it is to campaign at large. SMD will make running for office more accessible to residents of various income levels, identities and backgrounds.
SMD is not how cities our size do things.
At-large elections tend to be more practical in small cities and in more homogeneous areas.
Con: Several Central Florida cities in Winter Park’s size range have SMD, including Ocoee, Cocoa, Mt. Dora, Sanford and Winter Garden.
At-large elections are more democratic.
At-large elections allow all residents to vote for all commission candidates.
Con: Democratic institutions have a duty to protect minority groups from disenfranchisement and under-representation by majority rule.
SMD will make the Commission less effective.
SMD may encourage in-fighting, vote-trading and competition among districts for city resources.
Con: The efficacy of the Commission depends upon the quality and character of the individuals who are elected.
SMD will give voters fewer options.
Voters will have a smaller pool of candidates from which to choose.
Con: The options they do have will be more likely to represent their interests.
Asked for her thoughts on the outcome of last night’s Commission vote, CFAR’s Barbara Chandler replied, “. . . this is considered more delaying.”
For more information about SMD, go to http://cfarvote.com/cfar-home-mobile/
First step for diversity will be to support and elect Sara Sprinkel the first woman as Mayor of Winter Park
let’s support smart people who our thoughtful and love our fair city!!!!!!
I thought the FIRST woman was Eve?
Whenever a guy promotes a candidate as “First Woman,” you know his reason for supporting the candidate has absolutely nothing to do with gender.
Very disappointed that Todd Weaver failed to be at the meeting….we need an explanation of why he was not there as he should have known that his absence would result in the measure not going forward…very unhappy about Todd’s no-show!
Sprinkle is bad for the city…as a commissioner, she always seemed to favor developers over protecting historic Winter Park and respecting our zoning ordinances…her election would be a step closer back to the recent bad old days when developers ran the city at the expense of those who want Winter Park to stay Winter Park and not see mega developments be approved through zoning waivers. We need Anderson as Mayor to prevent that.
I don’t think that this conversation is about who should be elected mayor. It should be learning more and trying a form of government that has been successful in providing a voice for minority citizens.
Why doesn’t Winter Park think about trying part of the commission as single-member districts for a period of time with a sunset option so that citizens can re-up?
Florida has a very long history of disenfranchising people of color. This is an opportunity to show that Winter Park is a community that is willing to try new ideas and enfranchise citizens who have long not had a voice in this community but have a very long and respected history.
Sure, most folks on the City Commission are married.
So, for representation purposes, it’s a good idea for Winter Park to have SOME Single Member Districts – for the single people in town.
BUT, there should also be Married Member Districts. Otherwise there would only be Single people on the Commission. And the City needs Married people too.
The Single and Married Districts would of course have to be significantly gerrymandered, to avoid neighborhood segregation between the two groups.
But while Leary publicly OPPOSES Single Member Districts, privately he must know that the more SINGLE people there are in town, the more HOMES that must be built. That’s because a Single person can take up the same house that a Married couple has. So, say a thousand homes with married couples in them would have to turn into 2,000 homes if the married people were Single.
Stay tuned to The Voice for more fascinating insights like this!
You probably thought this was funny when you thought it up, but it bombed worse than Helen Reddy at Gator Growl!
Maybe they should have postponed a vote until there was a full commission to vote on it. That would have been the fair and decent thing to do.
Just say no to single-member districts. Next thing you know Todd, Marty, and Sheila will want to be defunding the police.
SMD will not guarantee a black seat on the WP city commission. It will not guarantee a Latino/Hispanic seat. It will not guarantee an Asian seat. Diversity on the commission can best be built thru good old fashioned coalition building efforts—addressing not only what is good for the Westside—but what is good for the entire city and community. Candidates who are able to reach across their self-imposed ideological boundaries are generally best equipped to garner the needed votes to succeed at the ballot box. Nothing new here. The last candidate to run representing the Westside pulled 400 votes—from across the entire city electorate—in a 3-way race. That’s impressive. But at the same time this candidate did not participate in any of the scheduled debates or the Sentinel’s candidate forums. That was a miscalculation. How can voters get answers to their specific concerns? It’s a two-way street: How can candidates learn and listen from their future constituents? Last thought—civility matters. Just because I may disagree with you, does not mean I disagree with the color of your skin. And this is important to acknowledge in any serious conversation—“Of course, I could be wrong”—SMD could take us to new heights. I’m listening.
I agree with you Coalition – after watching years of Winter Park politics,
a positive change starts with community activists building momentum for minority representation by reaching out to the grass roots level and bridging white and black voters behind their representative. You wanna get me excited – bring forth a candidate who is smart, considerate and has the ability to listen to opposing views. That’s a better tactic to win my support than rigging our voting system to ensure your candidate wins.
I recognize that the black community has been woefully absent, as do many.
We must come together and find a solution. Forcefully pushing the SMD agenda, then attacking people who don’t agree with you isn’t a reasonable path.
It’s unfortunate that it has become so divisive. In a time when we all should be supporting BLM and rising to the national call for unity, this issue – which has nothing to do with BLM btw – has crowded our conversation. Some seem too combative to ever reach a peaceful resolution.
Finally, I’m not going to vote for someone just because they are black, or a female or a progressive or a conservative. I vote for the people who I think share my values, are a lot smarter than me and will work together (key word) to protect our quality of life.
We have an excellent group of individuals now serving us. Let’s focus on all of their thoughtful efforts in making our town a better place to live. I applaud their interest in diversifying our advisory boards.
The few individuals who have tried to take advantage of their kindness, well shame on you. Maybe it’s time you consider working with them instead of publicly condemning them for their actions that don’t meet your demands. Progress works both ways.
This EXCLUSIVE Voice photo shows a gang of masked bandits who stole MLK Park from the residents.
https://vimeo.com/475983270
The occasion was a big party in honor of the gang’s new “hide out” they are constructing on the former park land where children used to play.
Other bandits in the gang prefer to maintain a low profile and were not seen in the photo for fear it may blow their cover as just nice people who want what’s best for Winter Park.
This is the first time this many gang members have been seen in the same photo. Normally they prefer not to be seen with one another, fearing that even the most gullible Winter Park residents would put two and two together if they did.