PROPOSED City Commission 5 District Map

Proposed City Commission 5 Single-Member District Map showing major highways


THIS ORDINANCE IS SCHEDULED
FOR SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON MARCH 22, 2021

ORDINANCE NO.                               

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LEESBURG, FLORIDA, IMPLEMENTING THE WILL OF THE ELECTORS OF LEESBURG AS EXPRESSED IN A REFERENDUM APPROVING THE AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE I, SECTIONS 8 AND 9 OF THE CITY CHARTER, TO CREATE FIVE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS FOR CITY COMMISSIONERS; ESTABLISHING NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES BASED ON UPDATED CENSUS INFORMATION TO AS TO CREATE DISTRICTS WHICH ARE REASONABLY COMPACT AND ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT IN POPULATION; ESTABLISHING A STAGGERED SCHEDULE FOR THE ELECTION OF COMMISSIONERS FROM THE VARIOUS NEW DISTRICTS; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 

            WHEREAS, the electors of the City of Leesburg, Florida, having been presented at the November, 2020 election with the question of whether to amend Article I, Sections 8 and 9 of the Charter of the City of Leesburg, to replace the previous system of three single member district City Commission seats, and two at large City Commission seats, with five single member district City Commission seats, and no Commissioners being elected by the City at large, approved the amendment of the Charter for those expressed purposes; and 

            WHEREAS, it has been ten years since the City of Leesburg redefined the boundaries of its City Commission districts, during which time due to growth and population shifts the existing districts have become less equal in population; and 

            WHEREAS, more up to date census information is now available which will facilitate the creation of new district boundaries, resulting in more equal population distribution among the various districts; and 

            WHEREAS, creating new district boundaries which result in the new districts being more reasonably compact, and equal in population, complies with applicable statutory and case law governing the apportionment of electors among districts; and 

            WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the public health, safety and welfare to create new districts for the newly approved single member City Commission seats, which are reasonably compact and roughly equal in population; 

            NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF LEESBURG, FLORIDA: SECTION I. 

Article I, Section 8 of the City Charter of the City of Leesburg, Florida, is hereby amended pursuant to the referendum approved by the electors of the City of Leesburg, authorizing creation of single member City Commission districts, to read as set forth below:

Sec. 8. - City Commission; Composition; Terms and Term Limits.

There is hereby created a City Commission to consist of five electors of the City of Leesburg, who shall hold office for terms of four years. There shall be five City Commission districts, and each Commissioner shall reside within his or her respective District. Terms shall be staggered such that the seats for Districts 1, 2, and 4 shall be filled by election in 2022, and then every four years thereafter; seats for Districts 3 and 5 shall be filled by election in 2024 and then every four years thereafter. Commissioners shall assume their respective seats as representatives of single member districts at the organizational meeting in 2023, with the newly elected Commissioners from the 2022 election representing Districts 1, 2, and 4, and the sitting Commissioners residing in Districts 3 and 5 to continue representing those districts until the 2024 election. No Commissioner shall serve for more than two consecutive four year terms which commence after the effective date of this Charter.


SECTION II. 

Article I, Section 9 of the City Charter of the City of Leesburg, Florida, is hereby amended pursuant to the referendum approved by the electors of the City of Leesburg, authorizing creation of single member City Commission districts, to read as set forth below:

Sec. 9. - Qualifications of City Commissioners.

Candidates for the City Commission must have been residents of the City of Leesburg for a minimum of six months prior to qualifying for election to the City Commission, and must have resided in the districts from which they would be elected for at least six months prior to qualifying for election. No person may serve as a member of the City Commission who is currently employed by the City or who has been employed by the City within the six months immediately preceding the date of qualifying for election. No person may serve as a member of the City Commission who has been adjudicated guilty of a felony offense unless the individual has had his civil rights restored. No member of the City Commission shall benefit, financially or otherwise, from any contract, work or service performed for the City as to which such Commissioner has cast any vote. Any member of the City Commission ceasing to possess the qualifications for office herein required shall forfeit the office immediately.


SECTION III. 

The boundaries of the five City Commission districts, to be implemented beginning with the election of 2022, shall be as depicted on Exhibit “A” attached to this Ordinance. Those boundaries shall continue in effect until modified by further Ordinance adopted by the City Commission. The City Commission finds that the new districts, as depicted on Exhibit “A,” are roughly equal in population, follow defined Census blocks and significant natural and man-made boundaries such as water bodies and roadways, are as compact as possible given population requirements and significant boundaries, preserve communities of interest, do not dilute minority or Black voting strength, and do not create meandering or bizarre boundaries.

SECTION IV. 

All ordinances or part of ordinances which are in conflict with this Ordinance are hereby repealed, to the extent necessary to alleviate the conflict, but shall continue in effect insofar as they are not in conflict herewith, unless repeal of the conflicting portion destroys the overall intent and effect of any of the conflicting ordinance, in which case those ordinances so affected shall be hereby repealed in their entirety.

SECTION V. 

If any portion of this Ordinance is declared invalid or unenforceable, and to the extent that it is possible to do so without destroying the overall intent and effect of this Ordinance, the portion deemed invalid or unenforceable shall be severed herefrom and the remainder of the ordinance shall continue in full force and effect as if it were enacted without including the portion found to be invalid or unenforceable.

SECTION VI. 

This Ordinance shall become effective upon its passage and adoption according to law.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at the regular meeting of the City Commission of the City of Leesburg, Florida, held on the                  day of                                                 , 2021.

THE CITY OF LEESBURG, FLORIDA

BY:                                                                 
        JOHN CHRISTIAN, Mayor

ATTEST:                                                        
                   ANDI PURVIS, City Clerk