Monday, October 20, 2008

eLauderhill News Recommends

On November 4, eLauderhill News Recommends the following items on the ballot:

PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Barack Obama/Joseph Bidden-Dem. eLauderhill News ENDORSES
John McCain/Sarah Palin-Rep.
Bob Barr/Wayne A. Root-LBT
Alan Keyes/Brian Rohrbough-AIP
Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez-ECO

20th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Debbie Wasserman Schultz-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES
Margaret Hostetter-NPA

23rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Marion D. Thorpe, Jr.-REP
Alcee L. Hastings-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES

29th STATE SENATE

Christopher "Chris" Smith-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES

93rd STATE HOUSE

Perry E. Thurston, Jr.-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES

SHERIFF

Scott Israel-Dem. Qualified
Albert Lamberti-Rep. eLauderhill News ENDORSES

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Howard C. Forman-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES
Beverly B. Kennedy-NPA

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS

Brenda C. Snipes-DEM eLauderhill News ENDORSES
Ellen H. Brodsky-NPA

LAUDERHILL SEAT #1

Howard Berger
Tyson T. Jones
Randy Robinson
NO RECOMMENDATION

LAUDERHILL SEAT #2

Terry Corrado
Jacob Greene
Dale V. C. Holness eLauderhill News ENDORSES
Ruth Roman Lynch
Paul R. Shelton

CITY OF LAUDERHILL 2008 REFERENDUM BALLOT QUESTIONS

1) Referendum Amending City Charter, Section 3.06, to Eliminate the Position of Deputy Vice Mayor.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST, since it is a needed position and has no additional cost to the city

2) Referendum Amending the City Charter, Section 3.03, to Provide City Commission Term Limits of 12 consecutive years.

eLauderhill News GIVES NO RECOMMENDATION

3) Referendum Amending City Charter to Create Section 1.04, listing in the Charter a Citizens’ Bill of Rights that are already provided by law.

eLauderhill News GIVES NO RECOMMENDATION, though it needs to be known that it creates no new rights, and therefore is misleading, plus it clutters the Charter

4) Referendum Amending the City Charter, Section 3.08, Regarding Procedures for a Public Reprimand to Elected Officials who violates the Lauderhill Charter by "Interfering with the Administration."

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

5) Referendum Amending the City Charter, Section 3.04, Regarding the First Meeting for New City Commission, to be set 2 weeks after the election to provide time for certification of the election.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR to resolve a technical problem

ALL SUPREME COURT AND COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICES

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS ENDORSES

CIRCUIT JUDGE, 17TH CIRCUIT

GROUP 3

Bernard Isaac "Bernie" Bober
Pedro E. Dijols which is a vote for Marty Levy

Considering what has happened in this court involved dispute, NO RECOMMENDATION IS GIVEN

GROUP 21

Merrilee Ehrlich
Paul D. Eichner eLauderhill News ENDORSES

GROUP 27

Steven Brian Feren eLauderhill News ENDORSES
Mark W. Rickard

BROWARD COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS

Creation of a Metropolitan Transit Authority: Would create an advisory body to be known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, governed by an appointed Board of Trustees, which will have the responsibility to recommend improvements to the County's public transit plan, programs, operations, and to assist with the coordination of a comprehensive, regional public transit system.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST since it is duplicative of other funded boards and therefore waste taxpayers dollars

· Non-Interference in County Administration: Would prohibit the County Commission or individual County Commissioners from interfering directly with County employees and provide that all recommendations to County Administration be made through the County Administrator, except for the purposes of formal inquiries and investigations.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

· County Commission Meetings, Rules and Voting (Recusal): Would require Commissioners who recuse themselves due to a voting conflict resulting from a financial interest in the matter to leave the Commission chamber and not communicate or participate in any discussion.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

· Broward County Housing Council: Would provide for a Broward County Housing Council to serve in a non-taxing advisory capacity to facilitate coordination between the County, municipalities, businesses and not-for-profit groups to address such issues as affordable and workforce housing and homelessness, and to make annual recommendations regarding streamlining governmental regulations and enhancing housing stability.

eLauderhill News GIVES NO RECOMMENDATION since there is insufficient information to make a decision

· Broward County Regionalism Policy Statements: Would add a policy statement to the Broward County Charter defining Broward County government’s duty to develop and implement programs, policies and budget with a countywide and regional focus, without being precluded from delivering services on a less than regional basis.

eLauderhill News GIVES NO RECOMMENDATION since there is insufficient information to make a decision, and being that Broward County is not a region, but a sub-region.

· Broward County Parks Preservation: Would designate County-owned parks as either natural area parks or regional parks, and would prohibit the sale, transfer or change of use of such parks without an affirmative vote of sixty percent (60%) of the electorate.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR though there is little information

· Broward County Environmental Policy Statement: Would add an environmental policy statement to the Broward County Charter clarifying Broward County government’s duty to enact ordinances which protect its citizens’ right to a sustainable environment, including clean air and clean water, while encouraging the stewardship of natural resources.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST since there is insufficient information to make a decision, and too many concerns remain

· Broward County Ethics Commission: Would create a Broward County Ethics Commission for the specific purpose of preparing a Code of Ethics regulating the behavior of Broward County Commissioners, to be considered by the County Commission and/or the electors of Broward County.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

· Redistricting Process: Would provide for the use of an independent redistricting consultant to develop plans for redistricting of the County Commission’s single-member districts.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

· One Year Hiatus between End of Management & Efficiency Study Committee (MESC) and Beginning of Charter Review Commission: Would require the MESC to meet in 2009 and every six (6) years thereafter in order to provide for a one (1) year hiatus between the meeting of the Charter Review Commission and MESC.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

No. 1
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE I, SECTION 2
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
Ballot Summary:
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to delete provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

No. 2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE I, NEW SECTION
FLORIDA MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT
Ballot Summary:
This amendment protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST

No. 3
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3 AND 4 ARTICLE XII, NEW SECTION
CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS NOT AFFECTING THE ASSESSED VALUE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY
Ballot Summary:
Authorizes the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit consideration of changes or improvements to residential real property which increase resistance to wind damage and installation of renewable energy source devices as factors in assessing the property’s value for ad valorem taxation purposes. Effective upon adoption, repeals the existing renewable energy source device exemption no longer in effect.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST

No. 4
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3 AND 4 ARTICLE XII, SECTION 28
PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION OF PERPETUALLY CONSERVED LAND; CLASSIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF LAND USED FOR CONSERVATION
Ballot Summary:
Requires Legislature to provide a property tax exemption for real property encumbered by perpetual conservation easements or other perpetual conservation protections, defined by general law. Requires Legislature to provide for classification and assessment of land used for conservation purposes, and not perpetually encumbered, solely on the basis of character or use. Subjects assessment benefit to conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions established by general law. Applies to property taxes beginning in 2010.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS AGAINST due to a lack of information of the impact of this amendment

No. 6
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE VII, SECTION 4 ARTICLE XII, NEW SECTION
ASSESSMENT OF WORKING WATERFRONT PROPERTY BASED UPON CURRENT USE
Ballot Summary:
Provides for assessment based upon use of land used predominantly for commercial fishing purposes; land used for vessel launches into waters that are navigable and accessible to the public; marinas and drystacks that are open to the public; and water-dependent marine manufacturing facilities, commercial fishing facilities, and marine vessel construction and repair facilities and their support activities, subject to conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions specified by general law.

eLauderhill News GIVES NO RECOMMENDATION due to a lack of information

No. 8
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE VII, SECTION 9
LOCAL OPTION COMMUNITY COLLEGE FUNDING.
Ballot Summary:
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to require that the Legislature authorize counties to levy a local option sales tax to supplement community college funding; requiring voter approval to levy the tax; providing that approved taxes will sunset after 5 years and may be reauthorized by the voters.

eLauderhill News RECOMMENDS FOR

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