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Comments by lou

Written on City Council may amend/extend sewer hookup to 365 days:

Ed, correction to the statute above, it's 100.3065 not 100.0365, sorry.

Written on City Council may amend/extend sewer hookup to 365 days:

Mr. Foster, you are welcome it was my pleasure. You did imply that “the municipal election automatically changes to January” and I suppose if you read it out of context as you did you could say that. I read it differently and believe the charter is perfectly clear. Read it slowly, first it's about the date and then it's about whether we vote by mail or not. Nothing implies that the date moves with the primary. The charter does not give the council that authority, you seem forgot that only the voters can change the charter and there are only a couple of exceptions to that.

The charter gives us no option to change anything in the charter other then by referendum which is provided for in the charter. It is state law, FS 166.021(4) and FS 100.0365 along with a AG Advisory Legal Opinion AGO 2003-52 that gives a municipality the authority to change an election date and it is by no means mandatory it is totally discretionary on the part of the council.

Ed, I hopes this helps.

Written on City Council may amend/extend sewer hookup to 365 days:

Issler, why are you attempting to pick a fight with Ed Foster, you are out classed and way over your head, and yes he is a registered voter.

Written on Marco Island City Council election will be March 11:

lolala, whatever the majority decides I will abide by and it's not my precious system it is our precious system until the majority changes it, that is what you don't seem to understand.

This council did not create this charter nor did Bill Moss. This charter was created before a lot of you folks were here and created by some that now challange it.

Also, it is not the charter that gives the city the authority to change the election date it's the state law along with the opinion and guidence of the AG who is now Governor, read the dam thing instead of blaming the city and the CM for every dam thing that happens on this island. If you have a fight on this issue pick it with the state or your friends that created this bloody charter.

Good grief, about the only thing you people haven't blamed the council and the CM for is the drought were going through

Written on City Council may amend/extend sewer hookup to 365 days:

Hey Ed, charter sections 5.05 your quoting refers to the date and when we vote by mail ballot; Non Presidential years we vote by mail ballot. Presidential primary years we go to the polls or ask for an absentee ballot. If the state changes the Presidential primary date we vote by mail unless the city decides, voluntarily, to change the date to the Pres. primary . There is no mandate to change the date and the only thing that is strange is your interpretation. State law gives the city the option to change the date to January or any date even November if it chooses by amending the charter by ordinance. as to section 5.05 (3)state law also gives the city the authority to change the term of office, or not. Remember most state and federal officials are elected in November and are not sworn in until January. So there is nothing sinister about leaving the term of office alone

The charter also say's; "Section 3.02. Terms.
(1) The term of office shall be four years and no member shall serve more than two full consecutive terms." Does that mean that the two councilors whose term should be up, because of term limits, get to run again because they did not serve "two full consecutive terms." Changing the election date may not be as easy as you might think.

You want the date changed, be careful what you ask for, you may just get it and you may not like it.

Written on State supreme court ruling backs Marco’s septic replacement project:

Chase100, I think you may rethink the impact of this so called victory when you find out that Gold's suit only affected the connection usage fee which is peanuts and not the sewer assessment or the capacity charge. I believe it was a less costly move by the city and applaud them if they do make this decision.

Written on Marco Island City Council election will be March 11:

Mr. Putnam, if you’re going to quote me please do so accurately. If you will note I said in “PART” misinformation, ect. I never used the word “malcontents” and I never said “all the problems”. Yes I go to many council meetings and yes I do read and much of what I read, see and hear from both sides I do not like very much.

As to, “how do you answer the questions in the "Earnmarco" and "Marcocares" websites or the various blogs?” That is a conundrum. There is so much half information on these sites I would not know where to begin. Plus, every time a question is answered with facts you people don’t like the answer and the comedians on the blogs spin it or poke fun at the messenger. You folks don’t want answers, you want agreement with your answers. Tell me something factual and you will get mine and many others attention.

Mr. Putum, I have no bone in this dog fight, the sewers come I pay they don’t come I don’t pay and I don’t much care when they come, I’m last and locked into the 2006 price. I do however wish you and most of your group good luck in this fight but would wish you would do it honestly, responsibly and with dignity, let the dam system work. Stop the BS wait another ten months until March and then change the council, if you can.

Written on Marco Island City Council election will be March 11:

Lolala, that is ridicules, I think you folks are overreacting not just to this voting issue but to most everything the council and the CM does. I've just stated what the law states can be done and you and Hawke1 can interpret it any way you choose to. (It’s amazing to me that none of you "know it all’s" new the law) Do I think the election date will be moved at all, no? Do I think it will be done in such a ridicules manner as you suggest, hell no!!

Read the article in today's NDN on mail ballots. If I were the council and wanted a lesser voter turnout I'd vote to move the election to a non-mail in ballot election. I'll bet if they did some of you folks would scream foul and say it was done to gain an advantage.

I believe that paranoia has a firm grip on many people on Marco Island, due in part to all the misinformation floating around, a misconceived notion that governments can and should be run by referendum and an unwillingness to except the truth of the facts.

I and others are for letting the system work as it was designed to work. If a new council stops the STRP so be it I and others can and will live with that. If a new council does not stop the STRP can you live with that??? Mmmm, only time will tell.

Written on Marco Island City Council election will be March 11:

Sorry, Hawke1 I never said that, not even close. I simply stated what the Fl Statute and the Attorney General's opinion states in very plain language, read it, it's the law and the council did make this law.

Using your logic why do you think that those running for election might then feel deprived of their right to the electoral process and those having their duly elected term of office reduced would not feel deprived. Unfortunately this is not simply about money, it's about early elections and for that reason I and others do not support any change at this time.

As to the Governor and all the rest getting involved if this did happen, I think not, this opinion was given in regards to a question to change the election from March to November for the City of Lauderdale Lakes in 2003 and the signature at the bottom of the opinion none other then our own sitting Governor Charlie Crist.

Written on Marco Island City Council election will be March 11:

Hawke1, you are correct, The city council and not the CM can amend the city Charter by Ordinance to move the election to another date and two state laws backed by an Attorney General Opinion say it can be done.

However, state law does not say which way the election has to be moved (forward or backward) and the Attorney General has opinioned as recently as 2003 that a city “may amend its city charter by ordinance to move the dates of the city elections from march to November to coincide with the with federal, state and county elections, and to extend the terms of the sitting commissioners to November” and that’s the law.

Many would agree that there is a lot of logic in holding our elections in November, mainly because people are more apt to vote in an election that is held for federal, state, county and city officials then March or January and also because it would not cost the city 30 or 40 thousand dollars. However, because of the political climate here on Marco Island I think the city should stay with March for the time being.

So, I think you should be careful what I asked for you may not like what you get.

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