Resolution 014-1966•
e
RESOLUTION NO. 14-1966
WHEREAS, on the 9th day of March, 1966, the Florida Legislature,
in Special Session in Tallahassee, passed a reapportionment bill, HB 17-X,
which called for 48 Senators and 117 Members of the House of, Representatives;
and
WHEREAS, this plan was approved unconditionally by a three Judge
Federal District Court in Miami on the 18th day of March,. 1966 -- the Court
ruled the plan as being Constitutional; and
WHEREAS, the 48 -man Senate and 117 -man House plan will not
make it possible for Monroe• County to retain a Senate seat to itself, if the
plan is to meet. the "One -Man One Vote" edict of the United States Supreme
Court. Therefore, it was necessary for Monroe County to be joined to
another county or counties; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature did the only thing it could do that would
be right and .fair for Monroe County and that was to join it to Dade County for
its Senate representation; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's affinity of interest is with Dade County --
everyone who comes to Monroe County must come through Dade County and
everyone who leaves Monroe County must go through Dade County. With its
present business and other relations with Dade County, Dade County enjoys a
large multi -million dollar business from the people of Monroe County annually;
and `
WHEREAS the "Paul Plan" being advocated by the Board of County
Commissioners of Metropolitan Dade County would have Monroe County
represented in the Senate by coupling it with Collier County and .gerrymandering
around Dade County and back to Broward and Palm Beach Counties, would visit
WHEREAS said plan would require the people of Monroe County, in
order to, see their Senator to have to travel all the way through Dade County"
to get to their Senator in Broward or Palm Beach County -- Monroe County's
representation in the House would take it up through Collier and several
other counties on the West Coast, almost to Tampa; and
WHEREAS because of Monroe County's geographic location and
other unique problems, such an arrangement in the words of the United States
Supreme Court, would most assuredly be invidiously discriminatory toward
Monroe County. Even though it may meet the "One -Man One -Vote" criteria,
certainly it is obvious that in coming up with any plan to meet the "One -Man
One Vote's you certainly must take other things into consideration when you
are deciding what counties and what areas. are to be grouped together for
representation; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County
wants to work wholeheartedly, hand in hand, with the Board of County
Commissioners of Metropolitan Dade County for our mutual benefit and that
we will always try and cooperate and see their side of any issue; and
WHEREAS, Dade County is satisfied with its own representation
but has said that it feels that it had assumed leadership in the
reapportionment battle and therefore should concern itself with what type of
representation other counties have -- this is a noble and praiseworthy
gesture but we feel they have overlooked what kind of representation their
proposed plan would visit upon their sister county of Monroe;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
That the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County hereby
r •
United States Supreme Court of the action of the United States District
Court which rules the reapportionment action of the Legislature as being
constitutional; and further, respectfully requests that in the event they do
not recede from such appeal that they amend their proposed plan of
32-Senators and 68-Representatives so as to group Monroe County with
Dade County rather than as the plan now calls for it being grouped with
other counties.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY SAID BOARD, that the Clerk
of said Board be, and he is hereby authorized to forward certified copies
of this Resolution to the Board of County Commissioners of Metropolitan
Dade County for such action as they may deem appropriate.
DATED MARCH 30, 1966.
0