Officials back bill to change proxy voting

Coral Springs is taking action to ensure that system of proxy voting, by which board members are elected to most special taxing districts in the city, is done away with.

At last week’s City Commission meeting, officials unanimously supported filing a local bill in the state Legislature which would, if it passes, change the voting process in elections for special districts. The last date to file a local bill was Sept. 15, but cities have the option of amending the bill later, if need be.

If the bill passes, people living within the boundaries of each special district will get to vote and elect the board members. Four special districts within the city — Sunshine Water Control District, North Springs Improvement District, Coral Springs Improvement District and Pine Tree Water Control District — will be affected if the legislature passes the bill.

“Board members in special districts get elected by proxy voting and manage multi-million budgets,” said Vice Mayor Dan Daley, who has championed the cause ever since he became an elected official. “I don’t think it is right; this is 2017 and not 1775.”

Daley intends to reach out to State Rep. Jared Moskowitz and seek his support for the local bill. “Changing the voting mechanism will hold the water districts more accountable,” he said. “It will also ensure greater transparency.

Changing the voting mechanism and ensuring additional transparency is something that the public will support.”

“I will never oppose anything that gives our residents a sense of participation,” said Sunshine Water Control District President Joe Morera. “However, not many people have said that they are not satisfied with the work we do or the current system of voting. We are as transparent as we can be.

“We are simply following the process that has been in place since the district was created,” said Morera. “It is up to the legislature to decide if the voting mechanism has to be changed. I am not sure that the voting process can be changed just for the special districts within the city; it will have to be statewide.”

asivasankaran@sun- sentinel.com

“We are simply following the process that has been in place since the district was created. … It is up to the legislature to decide if the voting mechanism has to be changed.” — Joe Morera, Sunshine Water Control District president