Voting Matters

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Voting Matters
Comprehensive Campaign to Keep Your Right to Vote!
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Palm Beach County Charter Review Initiative

• Independent Charter Review Committee (Commission
  appoints representation)
• County Commission acting as Charter Review
  Committee

3
County Commission Proposals

• Appointed Supervisor of Elections
• Appointed Tax Collector
• Consolidate some departments
• Elect non-partisan commissioners
• New districting mixed 5 single-member/2 at-large
• Voter approved sale of conservation easements

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County Commission Timeline

• January 2011
• County Commission held initial discussion
• April 2011
• County Commission approved broad process to
  receive public input

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County Commission Timeline

• Summer 2011 (June September)
• Public meetings to educate and gather input from
  the public regarding possible charter revisions
• Written and online surveys are distributed to
  prioritize suggested charter revisions
• Survey results are tabulated
• Fall/Winter 2011 (November)
• BCC reviews survey results

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CNMG Outreach Response

• Determine Key Stakeholders in tier system
• Chambers of Commerce (County, Municipalities,
  Special Interest)
• Civic Groups (Taxpayer Advisory Board, Tea Party,
  South Florida 9/12, League of Women Voters,
  Jewish Womens Federation, Urban League)
• HOA/Neighborhood Groups (Century Village)

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CNMG Outreach Response

• Partnered with other Constitutional Officers

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CNMG Outreach Response

• Developed Talking Points (Ask Anne) Sample
  Responses
• Set goals for stakeholder comment card
  distribution/collection
• Attended each PBC public input meeting

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Survey Card
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Ask Anne Constitutional Officers
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Ask Anne Elections Power
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Talking Points
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Sample Messages
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CNMG Outreach Response

• Set up Charter Review webpage
• Included Charter review articles in TaxTalk and
  monthly HOA Newsletters
• Attended various community/neighborhood
  association meetings

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Charter Review Landing Page
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TaxTalk Newsletter Charter Review Article
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Local Press Coverage Palm Beach Post Editorial
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Local Press Coverage Citizen Letter to the
Editor
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Corruption Collage of Charter Counties w/out
Constitutional Officers
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Voting Matters Accomplishments
Campaign Goals Accomplishment
300 public input cards submitted 348 Cards submitted Keep elected constitutional officers was the top charter review comment of the constitutional officer respondents (532/768)
500 Charter Reform Ask Anne FAQs distributed 950 Charter Reform Ask Anne FAQs distributed
1 Print 1 elect Media Covering Driver License Service Offering/Real ID Requirements Coverage in 2 print media (Palm Beach Post Sun-Sentinel) Grassroots coverage in United Civic Organization of Century Village Newsletter Town Crier Palm Beach County Tea Party website)
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Preliminary Public Comments

• Appointed Sheriff
• Appointed Supervisor of Elections
• Appointed Tax Collector
• Consolidate some departments
• Eliminate term limits
• Elect all commissioners at-large
• Elect non-partisan commissioners

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Preliminary Public Comments, contd.

• Add two commissioners by region (north/south
  east/west)
• Eliminate commissioners from serving on other
  boards (SWA)
• Place constitutional offices under the Inspector
  General
• Implement instant runoff voting for commission
  and constitutional offices
• Place Sheriffs budget in county control
• Cap yearly millage increase to no more than 1.5

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Public Comments - Final Results

• No changes
• Keep Elected Constitutional Officers
• Keep 8 Year Term Limits
• Keep Single-Member Districts
• Do not switch to a Strong Mayor format

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Top Ten Public Charter Review Comments
Keep Elected Constitutional Officers