It is with relief and gratitude to many that The Citizens Voice Committee completes its work in opposition to the proposed new charter for the City of Sarasota. Less than 60 percent of signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot were collected over a six-month period. It is important to note that this was the first time in Sarasota's recent history that petition gatherers had 180 days to complete their task. Until 2012, they were allowed only 90 days. And yet they failed. This was, we believe, yet another confirmation of the intelligence and good judgment of Sarasota's voters.

It was The Seventh Time, Sarasota. In 1996, 2002 and 2009 voters defeated a variety of such initiatives—in 2002 by 70 percent to 30 percent. The City Commission voted not to put a similar measure on the ballot in 2012. The Charter Review Committee of 2006 and the 2010-11 Committee that performed the decennial review of the charter also recommended against a change from Commission-City Manager form of government.

It was important to us that the Steering Committee of The Citizens Voice be diverse and comprehensive, that it include new voices (Chair and Treasurer as well as other committee members were new to this governance debate) and that all three districts of the city be fully represented. We are proud to have our members include the majority of past mayors/commissioners of this city, a former city manager and several former members of the 2010-11 Charter Review Committee. We were truly non-partisan, as is our city government—Republicans, Democrats and Independents, neighborhood and business representatives, working together in common cause.

This recent initiative to change the city government was the most radical yet. The proposed charter would have created a mayor with enormous power who could not be recalled. Voters would be allowed to choose only one district commissioner rather than the current three (a majority of the commission). And the March city election would be moved to August with its notoriously low turnout and politically partisan primaries. We are grateful to those citizens and current and former elected officials from Pensacola who shared their candid assessments and strong disappointment with a similar charter recently adopted in that city.

We strongly disagree with the argument that this proposal deserved to be on the ballot regardless of its content. The content of the proposal matters. We are pleased that a great deal of time and money has been saved by ending this effort at the petition-gathering stage. (For the 2009 election, The Citizen's Voice spent $10,000 in opposition to similar amendments. Proponents spent over $100,000. Then, also, the intelligence and good judgment of Sarasota voters resulted in a 65 percent to 35 percent voter defeat of the measure.) 

Eileen Normile, The Citizens Voice chairwoman