Alachua County Commission exploring single-member districts going back to voters
Alachua County leaders have begun exploring the possibility of placing the single-member district ballot measure back up for a vote in two years.
The ballot measure, which narrowly passed with 51.5% of the popular vote, reshapes how Alachua County commissioners are elected moving forward.
The previous system allowed county residents to vote for each of the five seats, while the change now requires commissioners to be elected by only those living within the district they serve. Supporters of single-member districts argue it will provide a better opportunity for more moderate and conservative voices to be elected to what has historically been dominated by Democratic leaders.
More:'Blatantly false' mailer says Black leaders support GOP-led, single-member district referendum
More:NAACP threatens to sue Stafford Jones' PAC over mailers. PAC says quotes are fair game
'This is very dirty politics'
At a special meeting held earlier this week, the issue was brought up by a member of the public who said he felt the campaign for the ballot item was disingenuous, calling for penalties for state House Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, for being involved in the misleading campaign.
"This is very dirty politics," said Kali Blount, a Gainesville resident and local housing advocate.
Commissioner Ken Cornell followed the statements by asking the county attorney to draft a memo for the public that explains the three ways an item can be placed on a ballot. One of those ways is to have a majority of support from the County Commission.
During the election cycle, all five members of the commission expressed disapproval of the measure and took issue with the messaging behind it. Strategists behind the single-member district campaign used political action committees and hundreds of thousands of dollars to push the referendum, while county government was restricted by state law from spending any funds discussing the issue.
Among the flyers that were sent out was one showing Commissioner Charles "Chuck" Chestnut IV and a quote that signaled his support.
Chestnut said at the meeting he was shocked when he saw his photo and a quote for something he was against. But as a member of the canvassing board, he had to walk a fine line between speaking out on the misleading mailer and not advocating one way or another.
"I just think that was wrong," he said.
"This dirty politics and false information stuff has to stop," he added. "If it's within our right to put it back on the ballot in the future, then I support it."
Leading up to Election Day, the NAACP threatened to sue Republican strategist Stafford Jones and his PACs for the use of its logo on some of the mailers. Chesnut said he is unsure where the potential lawsuit stands but will join the cause if one moves forward.
Jones, however, argues that the issue has been settled by voters and that those wanting to switch the system back would have an uphill battle if they chose to contest the outcome.
"The county needs to listen to the will of the voters and let this thing run its course," Jones said. "If they do put it back on the ballot, it will be far easier to defend than it was to get it done the first time."
Cornell has also said that he is in favor of seeing how the change would make an impact and that voters will soon realize they have less of a say in who represents them.
Even with the change, the seats on the commission are likely to still be held by a majority of Democrats, an analysis from The Gainesville Sun shows. The District 1 and 2 seats are expected to become more competitive.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Could Alachua County vote again on single-member districts?
