Op-eds on item 10

Item 10 secures public good

James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, wrote that "a majority … united by some common interest" could be "adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." He called these special interest groups "majority factions," which needed to be constrained if we, the people, were to form a more perfect union.

The supermajority vote is such a constraint. In the upcoming Winter Park election, Amendment 10 calls for a supermajority vote in order to protect the long-term vision of the community, the Comprehensive Plan. This comp plan took years to develop by scores of individuals looking at Winter Park's future growth possibilities from all points of view. The city's Comprehensive Plan should not be subject to arbitrary changes overnight by a few in order to accommodate the special interest groups of the day.

Just as amendments to the U.S. Constitution require a supermajority vote of three-quarters of the states, changes to Winter Park's Comprehensive Plan should require more than a simple majority.

Amendment 10 mandates a supermajority (four of five commissioners' approval) to change the comp plan. Amendment 10 is the procedural safeguard that helps insure stability to Winter Park's responsible growth.

On March 9, vote "Yes" on Amendment 10.

—Kathryn Grammer

Winter Park

Item 10 bad for business

On Tuesday, March 9, citizens of Winter Park will go to the polls to elect two new city commissioners and vote on 12 proposed city charter amendments. One in particular, Amendment 10, if approved, will dramatically impact our quality of life in Winter Park and the foundation and principles of good governance.

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce urges the citizens of Winter Park to vote no on Charter Amendment 10 on Tuesday, March 9. The proposed supermajority (4-1) requirement would empower a minority of city commissioners with the ability to deny an amendment or change to the Future Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.

This recommendation does not come lightly. When tackling tough issues, the Chamber engages our members and the community, listens to proponents and opponents, seeks direction from our Board of Directors and receives guidance from the Council of Leaders, which is a group of residents, community leaders and former mayors.

Through this deliberate process it became overwhelmingly clear that Amendment 10 is a bad idea … not just for the business community, but for all of Winter Park. Therefore, the Chamber's Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to Amendment 10.

You may recall a bipartisan charter review committee unanimously approved the submission of 11 of 12 charter amendments. After the committee conducted a thorough and objective analysis, Amendment 10 was not submitted because it lacked consensus; only after a simple majority vote (3-2) by the City Commission was it put on the ballot.

I have heard candidates for City Commission who support the supermajority requirement acknowledge that the Comprehensive Plan is "not perfect", "good, not great", has "mistakes", and has "potential for lawsuits". Why would we make it more difficult to change such a flawed document?

Lastly, in these tough economic times, we must encourage, not discourage, economic sustainability in Winter Park. We cannot allow additional limitations and constraints to be placed on our business community. If we do not seek opportunities to expand our commercial tax base then the burden of increased taxes and decreased services will fall squarely and solely on the shoulders of our residents.

—Patrick W. Chapin

President/CEO

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce