Home Rule Charter Amendment Info

We all have seen the negative effects of urban sprawl across the state and urge you to vote YES for the Home Rule Charter Amendment and put a stop to this irresponsible and uncontrolled expansion into our rural areas. Recognizing the negative effects of unchecked urban expansion, the Seminole County Board of Commissioners implemented the rural area boundaries over 10 years ago in the Seminole County Comprehensive Plan, to guide growth responsibly and protect sensitive lands.

On Tuesday, November 2, Seminole County voters will be asked to vote on an amendment to the County Charter which will reaffirm this boundary around the eastern rural portion of the County and will give the Board of County Commissioners oversight over land use changes within this boundary. There are only three cities that this has any affect on, Oviedo, Winter Springs and Sanford. They are the only municipalities adjacent to the Rural Boundary and rural lands in east Seminole.

Unfortunately, not all of these cities have adhered to the Comprehensive Master Plan, instead developing methods of circumventing it for their gain without regard to others. They dodge the Comprehensive Master Plan by annexing property within the rural area boundaries for the sole purpose of increasing the size of their city. Under our current charter, once a tract of land is annexed by a City, that City can change land use as they see fit For example, Winter Springs recently annexed a Suburban Estates property and rezoned what was once 1 dwelling per acre in the county, changing to 10 dwellings per acre in the city. A YES vote for the Home Rule Charter amendment would provide responsible oversight on land use within Rural Seminole County, regardless of land annexation by a city.

How this affects those that live in the RURAL area of the county...

Areas designated as rural by the county have been lured into annexation into the cities with a promise that much higher land uses will be allowed in exchange for the move. When a resident that is adjacent to the proposed change, but lives in the unincorporated portion of the county, appeals to the annexing city to maintain the rural land-use intensity, their appeals are not heard and they are dismissed as a non-resident Under current charter the county has no authority to help the adjacent unincorporated residents protect their investments and lifestyle. This leads to conflicting land use designations being approved and ultimately the destruction of the rural character of the surrounding land.

If the change to the charter is approved, all rural Seminole County rezoning requests would have to be presented to the Seminole County Board of Commissioners for consideration and be consistent with the Seminole County Comprehensive Master Plan. A YES vote for the Home Rule Charter Amendment empowers responsible growth in rural Seminole County.

How this affects those who live in the URBAN area of the county...

The inappropriate conversion of rural lands has effects that reach into the lives and pockets of all citizens of He county. Aside from the obvious deterioration to the character of the County, and increased traffic and travel times we all experience, there are other cost factors associated too.

The sprawling development that this conversion creates has been proven to consume more revenue than it generates, shortly after it is completed. From that time on, the residents of the entire city, and in some cases the entire county, end up subsidizing the development. The long term demand for infrastructure and services is much greater in these areas. School redistricting is a symptom of this problem.

While residents in the urban area may have elected representation at the city level, they also have the same commitment from the county government to address their needs. By allowing the County to review the land-use proposals in the rural area, we will provide the "large picture" planning perspective to prevail.

Vote Yes to protect Seminole County's natural resources, environment, & wildlife

Vote Yes to reduce traffic congestion & urban sprawl

'Vote Yes to give our natural resources a fighting chance against unchecked urban development

' Vote Yes to Protect our wetlands, storm watershed areas, & aquifer recharge lands

: Vote Yes for the Home Rule Charter Amendment!

You can email us at ruralboundarv@aol.com or contact the following organizations:

In case nobody has figure out the connection of the Cities of Winter Springs and Longwood joining in the fight against the "Protection of the Rural Lands" County Amendment, Sunday's Sentinel points out the fact that these are the ONLY two cities in the County who oppose it ! It's easy to figure out ! Not only does it impede Winter Springs' vicious annexation ambitions into the rural/wetland areas ----- BUT ---

The City Manager of Longwood, when he lost his lost job, became the protégé of the City Manager of Winter Springs, Ronnie McLemore, who took him on at TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE until he could find another job. McLemore said that would ONLY be for six months, but it lasted for over one and one-half years. The taxpayers of Winter Springs paid a handsome salary to John Drago ----- while he sought another job.

Meanwhile, Drago was in charge of the ambitious drives that McLemore brought with him from South Florida to annex anything in HIS WAY, and Mayor Bush, on their drive to concrete the once beautiful rural lands of Winter Springs. He built the "phony" towncenter with it's FALSE second story buildings, and OVER EXTENDED water and sewerage services, at taxpayers' expense into County Rural areas and wet-lands.

( The City of Winter Springs has already filed a lawsuit against the citizens, and voters of Seminole County should they approve the amendment. They have LONG RANGE HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENTS already planned for future annexations. Their word is NO GOOD. They said they would call for a moratorium, but even if they had been successful, they would have ALREADY BROKEN their false promises !

Remember -- they filed suit against the citizens of Winter Springs when the Tuscawilla "special-taxing district" was voted down. In fact, City Manager McLemore threw out the 63 votes that defeated the vote by the people. He rigged the outcome --- that changed the vote to 9 for taxation ! )