Redistricting Right

Every chance he gets, David Hart talks up redistricting. As vice president of governmental

relations for WCI Communities Inc., when Hart meets with legislators on growth

management or other business issues, he makes a case for keeping a Southwest

Florida representative in the state legislature and U.S. Congress.

And it’s done with a sense of urgency, because the state

legislature is redrawing the maps to accommodate for the region’s population

explosion. Although the session is set to end on March 22, the redistricting

battle could last until May. And no matter what district is approved, lawsuits

are likely.

Redistricting, which comes about every 10 years to account

for population changes, will affect who represents Southwest Florida.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Several proposed maps include parts of

Southwest Florida in an east coast district, which many oppose.

“It is to our advantage to make sure our elected

representatives directly experience the dynamics of living and working in our

region,” says Steve Tirey, executive director of The Chamber of Southwest

Florida, one of several organizations comprising a group called Save Our Seats,

which held hearings on redistricting last year. “It is also important that we

have direct access to elected officials without having to drive across the

state.”

Redistricting also is a concern among the agriculture

community, which is impacted by federal decisions. “We support, if this is run

properly, a central Florida-rural county district,” says Ron Hamel of the Gulf

Citrus Growers Association.

Agriculture, tourism and transportation are all important

issues. But many business people “don’t feel they have an ability to make an

impact,” says Collier Enterprises’ Tom Conrecode, a founder of the Southwest

Florida Transportation Initiative.

That’s why some local Web sites, including the Bonita

Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, provide sample letters and addresses of

elected officials. Wanda Wagner of Collier & DuPont Interiors,style="mso-spacerun: yes"> a member of the chamber’s government affairs

committee, is concerned that Southwest Florida’s needs will take a backseat to

those of the representative’s home turf. “We would lose political clout and

consequently could see much of our federal funding for schools and roads go

elsewhere,” she says. “We cannot afford for that to happen.”