Hernando Today
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Attorney: Referendum Should Go Forward
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Published: May 15, 2008
SPRING HILL - Don't say circumvent - not to the attorney who represents the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District.
During a workshop Wednesday, Andrew Salzman complained about the terminology in recent news reports that suggested his office was devising a way to skip this year's referendum and go directly to the state Legislature.
"I'm impossible to circumvent the people on this," he said. "That's just garbage."
He explained to the board of fire commissioners there was only one way for the district to become independent from the county - a legislative act.
As far as he knew, it was rare, maybe even unprecedented, to have the issue go before the voters in the form of a "straw vote" referendum.
"I did some research on this and I've never seen a straw vote," Salzman said.
Last week, County Commissioner Dave Russell, who served eight years in the state Legislature, said attorneys for the district were making a mistake to recommend sending the issue directly to Tallahassee.
The independence issue has gone before residents twice before, and both times they voted against it. Russell said legislators would see that and summarily vote no on the proposed bill.
Salzman believes otherwise. He thinks the Legislature would give little or no attention to the approved referendum.
"A straw vote is exactly that," he said. "They won't look at it."
It also is prudent to take the matter directly to the Legislature because of the uncertainty of when the next election would take place. Bypassing the straw vote could save significant time, he said.
The law requires voters to approve the millage rate after the Legislature approves the bill. Would that happen in November 2009 or November 2010?
Salzman wasn't sure.
The state could make the district opt for a special election in 2009 or wait until "the next general election," which is 2010, Salzman said.
In the end, the attorney suggested it would be best to continue with the straw vote referendum in November and take it to Tallahassee during the next Legislative session.
"The best thing to do is let it go forward," he said.
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.
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