By Roger Drouin
Published November 7th 2007 in The Herald Tribune
SARASOTA -- Voters here overwhelmingly approved sweeping changes aimed
at keeping big money out of local races, banning hidden last-minute
campaign contributions and narrowing the influence of businesses in
local elections.
Combined with another measure voters handily approved that changes the way votes are cast and counted, the overhaul could make Sarasota a model for election reform nationwide.
"This will definitely put us in the forefront in the state," City Clerk Billy Robinson said.
Voters also approved a measure making it more difficult for some developments to get approved and another one requiring some businesses to pay a higher minimum wage. They rejected a bond measure for Ed Smith Stadium.
The election reform measures -- capping individual contributions at $200, forbidding corporations from contributing to campaigns and requiring candidates to file their contribution lists earlier -- take effect next month.
Those changes will be tested in March 2009, when candidates vie for two open City Commission seats.
The changes will take the focus off which candidates can collect the most checks, said Stan Zimmerman, president of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations.
"So now we don't have the big bucks running the election," Zimmerman said.
But the neighborhood leader acknowledged that special interest groups would be likely to find other ways to funnel money to candidates, including going through political action committees.
While the voting reform measures received overwhelming support, at least one resident said she worried that the growing anti-development mood and the resulting election reforms might pit voters against the development industry. "My concern is that they want to take control of the future," said Diana Hamilton. She supports the $200 limit but fears it may be too restrictive for developers.
Here is a rundown of what voters approved:
In
addition to the $200 campaign contribution limit and ban on corporate
giving, candidates will now have to hand-deliver their final
treasurer's reports six days before the election.
A
change to instant runoff voting, which allows voters to rank candidates
in order of preference. If one candidate does not win a majority vote,
then the second choices are tabulated.
A
rule making election results official three days after an election, to
allow the counting of provisional ballots -- such as ballots received
from military personnel based overseas.
Giving emergency management powers to the city manager and appointing a committee to review the city charter.
Combined with another measure voters handily approved that changes the way votes are cast and counted, the overhaul could make Sarasota a model for election reform nationwide.
"This will definitely put us in the forefront in the state," City Clerk Billy Robinson said.
Voters also approved a measure making it more difficult for some developments to get approved and another one requiring some businesses to pay a higher minimum wage. They rejected a bond measure for Ed Smith Stadium.
The election reform measures -- capping individual contributions at $200, forbidding corporations from contributing to campaigns and requiring candidates to file their contribution lists earlier -- take effect next month.
Those changes will be tested in March 2009, when candidates vie for two open City Commission seats.
The changes will take the focus off which candidates can collect the most checks, said Stan Zimmerman, president of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations.
"So now we don't have the big bucks running the election," Zimmerman said.
But the neighborhood leader acknowledged that special interest groups would be likely to find other ways to funnel money to candidates, including going through political action committees.
While the voting reform measures received overwhelming support, at least one resident said she worried that the growing anti-development mood and the resulting election reforms might pit voters against the development industry. "My concern is that they want to take control of the future," said Diana Hamilton. She supports the $200 limit but fears it may be too restrictive for developers.
Here is a rundown of what voters approved:
In
addition to the $200 campaign contribution limit and ban on corporate
giving, candidates will now have to hand-deliver their final
treasurer's reports six days before the election.A
change to instant runoff voting, which allows voters to rank candidates
in order of preference. If one candidate does not win a majority vote,
then the second choices are tabulated.A
rule making election results official three days after an election, to
allow the counting of provisional ballots -- such as ballots received
from military personnel based overseas.Giving emergency management powers to the city manager and appointing a committee to review the city charter.
