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If commission wants to jump, let the voters say how high
© St. Petersburg Times, It was shortsighted and impulsive, to the point of being reckless, for three members of the Citrus County Commission to vote last week to hold a special election to ask voters if they want to move the commission's offices and meetings from Inverness to Lecanto. Residents should know that they are being used as pawns in a debate being perpetuated by public servants who have narrow, self-serving agendas. The controversy about whether the County Commission should move to the government complex in Lecanto has lingered for years. Commissioners would already have moved if it were not for staunch opposition from the Inverness City Council, and fear that the legal opinions they have sought to support their intent have been less than definitive. In 1999, the commission abandoned its crusade to flee Inverness, but not before expanding the boundaries of the county seat 10 miles west to include Lecanto. At the time, the commissioners said that was a move designed to give future commissions the option of moving, and that no one should worry that they would desert Inverness. Last week's decision, made without prior notice to the public that it would even be discussed, shows how insincere that sentiment was. It also should be an indication to residents that, regardless of the results of the referendum, a majority of the commissioners are predisposed to make the move. The commission should reverse its decision to hold the referendum. However, because that is very unlikely, we urge them to make it comprehensive and final. The commission's first move should be to schedule the referendum for November 2002. That would give the commission, the City Council and their lawyers ample opportunity to research and possibly litigate the legal issues involved in this debate. It also would give those from both sides who feel strongly about the issue ample opportunity to carry their argument to the public, and to allow objective observers time to discern rhetoric from reality. But the most important reason to wait until the next general election cycle is that more residents vote then. The commission is now considering a special election in the fall, which will cost about $60,000 and probably only yield a turnout of less than 20 percent, according to Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill. If the question is put on the November 2002 ballot, it won't cost any extra money and, if past turnouts hold true, it will ensure that between 60 and 80 percent of the county's registered voters will have their say. In addition, if the commission truly cares what the public has to say on this issue, then make the referendum binding, meaning the commission would have to abide by what voters decide. As it is, the commission is proposing a non-binding referendum, which, considering the small turnout at a special election, amounts to little more than an overpriced straw poll. A non-binding referendum only reinforces the growing attitude among residents that government and politicians always do as they please, regardless of constituents' wishes. If the commission is serious about settling this matter once and for all, as some of its members have stated, then they should have enough respect for voters to live by their decision. It is incredible that Commissioners Gary Bartell, Roger Batchelor and Vicki Phillips chose to resurrect this divisive issue at this time. Even as a component of long-range planning for facilities, finding space in Inverness for the commission and its relatively small staff is a low priority. Providing adequate space for constitutional officers and the judicial staff is much more important. Beyond facilities, the commission has many more pressing issues, including how to come up with the millions of dollars needed to pay for continued water improvement projects, and upgrades to the sheriff's emergency radio system. That is where the commissioners' energy should be focused, not on how much more convenient it would be for them and their staff to work in Lecanto. One doesn't have to have an opinion about whether the commission should be in Lecanto or Inverness to disapprove of how the commission is about to waste the public's money. In addition to the cost of a special election, this will be a drawn-out legal battle that could costs hundreds of thousands of dollars if both sides dig in their heels for a fight. The public should not allow the commissioners to manipulate them into believing this is an important issue. But, if the commissioners persist, residents should demand the referendum be decided by a true majority, and that the commissioners stand by the outcome.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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