A Resolution By The Pasco County Board Of County Commissioners, Redefining The Districts Of The Five County Commissioners’ Districts, Providing An Effective Date

1:32:36So one twenty-three.

1:32:40Item one twenty-three was published in the Tampa Bay Times on November seventh, twenty twenty one.

1:32:47Yes, Commissioner this is Commissioner, this is a resolution to redefine the districts of the five county commission districts. Uh the map that is attached and recommended for you is the map that uh you asked us to bring back to you on this date. Uh so this is a public hearing on the item. The resolution has been updated and provided to each of you uh at the dais.

1:33:15This This is a public hearing and um does anyone want to speak to the new commission maps besides me? Anyone out there?

1:33:23You have two that were still. Madam Chairman.

1:33:26All right. Um let's let's hear the ones on WebEx.

1:33:30Right. Um we have Christine Bright. Ms. Bright, if you could state your name and address and whether you've been sworn for the record.

1:33:49I have been sworn in.

1:33:51I'm sorry. Ms. Sprite, we we didn't get your comments. Could you restart? Thank you.

1:33:58My name is Christine Bright. I reside at [address removed]. And I was sworn in. Thank you. I have been a resident of Pasco County for over 40 years, and I'm the current A chair of the Pasco Unit of the Leading Women Voters. Our president, uh our league president is also on today. She's registered to speak. And in the interest of time, I'm going to um

1:34:28uh just omit my comments and uh hopefully give more time to others to speak.

1:34:37But I appreciate the opportunity.

1:34:40Okay. Um well everyone gets three minutes, right?

1:34:44Yes.

1:34:45Okay, so we'll move on to the next speak speaker. Thank you.

1:34:49Uh the next public comment is Deborah Kaufman. Ms. Kaufman, if you could state your name and address for the record and that you've been sworn.

1:35:03Ms. Kaufman, if you could is she uh is she on? She's on. Okay. You've been unmuted. There you go. We can hear you.

1:35:12Okay, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chairman Commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. My name is Deborah Kaufman and I'm speaking today as the President of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County and its PASCO unit on agenda item number P123. I live at [address removed], and I have been sworn in. The League of Women Voters was founded over a hundred years ago, shortly after passage of the constitutional amendment granting women in the United

1:35:42States the right to vote. It was then and continues to be a nonpartisan political organization committed to educating voters and advocating for important community issues. These two separate but equally important functions help us to achieve our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. As champions of democracy, the League knows that empowered voters are essential to our community's success in providing justice, equity, and a good quality

1:36:12of life for everyone. In a representative democracy such as ours, it is vital that the way voters are apportioned into geographically defined voting districts should allow voters a true one-person, one-vote power and should not do all it can to make it impossible for that power to exist. In fulfillment of our duties related to voter education, our league has been tireless in its efforts to inform our community not only about the importance of

1:36:42the redistricting process, but also the duty you have to hold a fair, open process that invites the participation of we, the public, in your deliberations as early as possible. To many of us, the d redistricting process seems irrelevant and cryptic. It is, however, one of the most enduring decisions you will make. Because the ramifications of this decision will persist for 10 years. It will affect every vote taken here during that time because as we

1:37:12all know, the way voters are apportioned into districts can determine to a great extent who will be sitting in your chairs after the next election. The goals you have set for yourselves in this process are laudatory, and I thank you for them. And I call upon you today to ensure that your actions recognize the public input you have received and are in accordance with the generally Recognized principles of fair districting. That is districts that are compact,

1:37:43contiguous, equal in population, attentive to natural boundaries, and not favoring a political party or candidate. It is your duty to ensure that every vote for the Board of County Commissioners in Pasco counts equally. Thank you for the opportunity to comment today.

1:38:01Thank you very much. Uh board members?

1:38:03Mr. Madam Chairman I appreciate the speakers. I just want to make sure the public knows and the people in the audience, I think the majority of voters in pa in Pasco County know that we were elected countywide. So some of the statements made by possibly some of the speakers um do not pertain to Pasco County, whereas some counties like Hillsburg County Ador Penellas and others actually their districts only the people in the in those districts are able to vote for those candidates. The great thing about Pasco County is you get to pick every one of the commissioners,

1:38:33each and every one of you, versus as in some counties. Thank you. So some counties only only you only get to pick the people in your districts. Or

1:38:42or an at large.

1:38:43Or an at large. We have everybody's at large here.

1:38:46Yeah.

1:38:47You just gotta live in your district.

1:38:48You get five choices. Um and I I did want to comment too on our new lines. You know, uh when they made District Three And uh I think there were some con there was consid considerations in that that mapping I've heard for c where Commissioner Millary lived, because you can't zone out a sitting commissioner from their district. And so Um and Commissioner Hildebrand was retiring. I've done some research into this. And

1:39:18so they came up with this kind of crazy wacky district. Which I I would say, in my opinion, does not serve the residents of Wesley Chapel. um well when you have the holiday commissioner um dealing with the Wesley Chapel issues. I think they're better served by the Wesley Chapel Commissioner. Um and when I was going to HOA meetings I was driving out to um for for some of those neighborhoods over there on Bruce Bowns. I was going

1:39:48to the Hunters Green Library near Lake Thenona Sassa. So I'd rather you do that. And I I think there was you know, we were I know you were always getting calls um for District Three because who would have thought that that was um you were you know, you're the w the east side commissioner, the south east side. So I think this serves the citizens much better.

1:40:13And I'm sorry that it doesn't match perfectly. I don't even know what the school district maps look like. In a perfect world, they would be the same, but you know, we have different issues than they have. And I don't think it matters to anybody except the someone who wants to run, and they have to look up and see who they're going to run against. That's right. And um and so we did some research in the state.

1:40:53There are many counties where they're not exactly the same, but I I don't think the citizens and our voters are are hurt by any of our lines and um And so with that I would entertain a motion to approve.

1:41:07I wanna just a little comment first before I do that. Um and I want to say I'm very proud of the way the board went through and talked about how we want to go do it. And uh Chairman Oakley at the time made a very good comment to us as We are at large, as Commissioner We says, so we serve everybody. And the beauty of that is if we're involved with a situation where we know something specifically we can help We don't have to worry about the resident commissioner. being worried about us going in there and doing it, because we know all know it is better information serving everybody. So with those comments, these

1:41:38lines do separate. uh the districts out but I think we all work together as a group and I think make a lot of great decisions. I'll move approval. Second

1:41:47Before we vote, I would uh Also add to it the The fact that we're not going to be able to We all serve citizens that are in our districts. more closely than we do others, but we are also open our offices are open to everyone in the in the county and we represent every citizen in Pasco County. Without a doubt. So with that, n a normal thing I normally say to the rest of you is I'll take care of my half of the county, you take care of your

1:42:17half.

1:42:19I'll

1:42:19keep taking the majority of the calls in the county.

1:42:22Yes. Yes. Well sit your chair now, we're gonna send every one of them to you.

1:42:28We have our hands full. Yeah, yeah, so I think we have a uh motion and a second. So all in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. Um moving on to P

1:42:39one twenty four.