Last modified 7/14/2008 - 11:08 pm
Originally created 071608
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Atlantic Beach will come up with a new population division for the districts.

By DREW DIXON, Shorelines

ATLANTIC BEACH - The City Commission Monday postponed a new ordinance that would establish four geographic districts to correspond with the four commissioner seats, in keeping with a referendum approved by voters last year.

At the request of Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland, the commission unanimously "disapproved" the ordinance because of population divisions within the proposed districts that received tentative approval last month. Holland said each district should be divided by population according to the 2000 U.S. Census figures and not by registered voters in each district, as Holland himself had originally suggested.

"My recommendation originally was to use the most current information that we could to divide the districts, which was voter data; those who were registered," Holland said.

But legal counsel for the Supervisor of Elections Office advised Holland that in order to be consistent with state and federal election districts, Atlantic Beach should follow the general rule of using equal division of districts based on the census information.

Holland said he initially was reluctant to use the census data because it was 8 years old. But counsel convinced him it was more consistent to use the census information rather than voter records.

Holland said while the population figures can be used to establish districts, the basis for the number of people for each district can be based on the total population or the number of people 18 years old and older.

The district alignments can then be modified again after the 2010 U.S. Census.

Mayor John Meserve said he accepted the recommendation and directed City Manager Jim Hanson to recalculate the district divisions and come back to the commission with a new draft resolution in August.

The original ordinance provided four geographic districts with two lining the ocean on the eastern boundary, another is generally in the center of the city and a fourth is generally southwest stretching across Mayport Road nearly to the Intracoastal Waterway. Each district would be assigned to a particular commission seat, excluding the mayor, but all voters get to cast ballots on each seat in a general election.

The geographic boundaries are likely to remain similar in a revised ordinance, but the number of people in each district could change, which could move the boundaries slightly.

While the commission agreed to look at the districts again, there were still questions as to whether the entire district system could be done away with, despite the voters' approval of the concept last October.

"What would it take if we wanted to reverse this whole thing and put it back on the ballot again in November?" asked Commissioner Paul Parsons.

Holland said it would take an entirely new referendum and that would include a petition and certification that would have to be finalized at least six weeks before the election ballots are printed, if the initiative were to come from the commission. That time period would be about six months if it were a citizens' initiative, Holland said, adding it's virtually impossible to make the deadline for a new referendum this year.

But the referendum last October was narrowly approved by voters: 1,130 votes in favor and 1,019 against.

Voters who cast ballots in favor of the referendum generally liked it because of the concept of commission seats and their districts representing all neighborhoods in the city. Currently, all of the commissioners live east of Mayport Road near the ocean.

There's still an undercurrent of opposition to the proposed district system and resident Pat Pillmore said during a public hearing on the ordinance that she wants the measure nullified.

"I would still come here if I had some interest in what was going on here. My first thought would not be who is my district representative," Pillmore said. "What is good for Atlantic Beach is good for the core city, the oceanfront, the business districts, subdivisions and where I live" west of Mayport Road.

Holland said after the meeting if the commission or residents feel strongly enough about rejecting the district system, there's plenty of time to organize a ballot initiative for a referendum in the next city election in the fall off 2009.

Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313