New ordinance lets SNL choose 3 supervisors

Sun 'n Lake residents already have three commissioners they want. On Tuesday, the Highlands County commissioners adopted an ordinance so SNL citizens can elect a fourth at the end of this year.

For decades, Sun 'n Lake of Sebring residents have been trying to gain control of their special improvement district. When it was set up, the landowners owned all five seats, and until today, they still elected three supervisors.

Last year, Sun 'n Lake sued the county when the commissioners changed voting procedures. The county then sued Sun 'n Lake, and the homeowner's association also went to court.

Sun 'n Lake attorney John McClure said Dick Miller, who unsuccessfully ran last year for a board of supervisors seat, was sworn in Tuesday morning to succeed George "Bud" Puffenberger, who resigned. Since Miller was a favorite of the residents, McClure contended that there already are three popularly elected supervisors on the board.

That didn't satisfy SNL resident Joe Eck or dozens of audience members. They argued that a landowner's seat now occupied by Robert Severino, who is facing re-election on Jan. 29, should be switched to a popularly elected seat.

Commissioner Guy Maxcy agreed, but voted for a motion by Jeff Carlson, who contended that a compromise was necessary, that electing the supervisor in November would work, since the successor would take office in January 2011.

SNL resident Larry Bertetto reminded the commissioners that SNL supervisors were given an opportunity to compromise last year, and refused to. The residents feel the supervisors do not represent them, Bertetto said.

"What's wrong with switching (Severino's) seat to a popularly elected seat?" Bertetto asked.

If that were the case, Carlson answered, there would be no compromise, the lawsuits would continue, and the residents would never get a third seat.

Even so, SNL resident Bill Jackson said he found a method of giving one vote to every dollar in assessments paid by each resident "a little hideous." Even so, residents agreed that this was a better method than one acre-one vote.

Property Owners Association President Larry Stange tried to convince commissioners to institute the popularly elected seat at the same time as they instituted the one vote-one dollar system.

"This is what the people would like to see," Stange said.

Rex Bond suggested that the commissioners should eliminate the landowner's recall authority. The sooner the commissioners align SNL elections with Florida election law, the better, he said.

"We're not going to make everyone happy," Carlson said. The commissioners voted for his motion, 5-0.