Whereas, A proposal to change the Lee County Commission from At-Large to Single Member
Districts, was approved to be forwarded to Florida State House by a vote of 6-1 of the Lee County
Legislative members in attendance during their public delegation meeting on January 9, 2025,
despite not having finalized the exact language of the proposal;
Whereas, the Lee County Charter already provides three mechanisms for any amendments to the
County Charter or make-up of the Board of County Commissioners;
Whereas, One of those mechanisms, the Charter Review Commission, which is comprised of 15
community members that served from March 2023-April 2024 and with multiple opportunities for
public input, did not support pursuing Single Member Districts for Lee County Commissioners;
Whereas, On November 29, 2023, the majority of the Lee Board of County Commissioners approved
Resolution No. 23-11-26 in Opposition to future legislative action that would change the Lee County
Commission from At-Large to Single Member Districts and from five to seven members;
Whereas, Recent Town Hall discussions by the Lee County Legislative Delegation have been limited
to a change from At-Large to Single Member Districts and omitted reference to:
1. The dilution of citizen voting rights;
2. The expansion of government presented in a recent draft of the proposition the Lee Delegation is
considering which includes at least two (2) at-large members;
3. The potential increase in the number of Single Member District commissioners;
4. Costs associated with the proposed changes and the impact on taxes; and
5. Restriction of the Commission Chairman position to only an At-Large seat, all of which may have
influenced public support for, or opposition to, a referendum;
Whereas, Shifting the approval of a referendum to the whole Florida Legislature, rather than
comporting with the procedure set out in the County Charter, is contrary to the very argument being
made at the core of the Single Member District proposal that local control and decisions are most
important, and strips local governmental control as set out in the Lee County Charter; and
Whereas, The County Commissioners are elected At-Large and represent the entire County, while
the Lee County Legislative Delegation members each represent only segments of the County and are
not as closely involved in the intricacies of local County matters since their focus is primarily on
State-wide issues;
Resolved, By the Lee County Republican Executive Committee that the Lee County Legislative
Delegation should not engage in pursuing a referendum regarding Single Member Districts or any
change to the make-up of the Board of County Commissioners at the State Legislative level, but
instead those Lee County State Legislators and other proponents in favor of such a referendum
should pursue the three mechanisms as outlined in the County Charter, as this not only honors the
local governance model but also enhances citizen engagement;
Resolved,, That the Lee County Republican Executive Committee stands firm that the Lee County
Delegation should not circumvent the on-going Charter review Commission and Charter Amendment
process created by the Lee County Charter and adopted by the good citizens of Lee County; and
“ Resolved, That the Lee County Republican Executive Committee requests the Florida Legislature
to vote NO on any legislative action that would place a referendum on the ballot that circumvents the
amendment process laid out in the Lee County Charter.”
Adopted by the Lee County Republican Executive Committee on Feb 11, 2025
