HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-13 - Endorsing and Supporting Orange County Redistricting Map 2A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA, ENDORSING
AND SUPPORTING ORANGE COUNTY REDISTRICTING MAP 2
• KNOWN AS OCFL-2025-WASHINGTON-2 MAP), AS
SUBMITTED TO THE, 2025 MID -DECENNIAL REDISTRICTING
ADVISORY COMMITTEE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHERE AS, the City of Ocoee highly values its alignment and common community of
interest with the neighboring and nearby municipalities of Winter Garden, Oakland, and Apopka;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Ocoee recognizes the importance of maintaining cohesive
representation on the Orange County Commission with communities that share its interests,
challenges, priorities, and projects; and
WHEREAS, in November 2024, Orange County voters approved of a County Charter
amendment expanding the number of Orange County Commission districts from six to eight; and
WHEREAS, in January 2025, in response to the Charter amendment, Orange County
Resolution 25-M-04 established the 2025 Mid -Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee; and
WHEREAS, Orange County Resolution 25-M-04 requires that the Committee "take into
consideration... (ii) Preservation of municipal boundaries; (iii) Preservation of cores of prior
districts; [and] (iv) Maintaining communities of interest...." and
WHEREAS, at the regular Ocoee City Commission Meeting held on August 19, 2025,
Angel de la Portilla, a member of the Mid -Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee, presented
an overview of the redistricting process and presented the seven proposed County Commission
District maps that were available for public review and comment, and solicited the City
Commission's views; and
WHEREAS, certain maps propose to split the City of Ocoee into different County
Commission Districts in contravention of the Ocoee City Commission's strong belief that a single
County Commissioner should represent the City, and that the County should not sever portions of
the City into different districts; and
WHEREAS, Map 2 (formerly known as the OCFL-2025-Washington-2 Map) would keep
the City of Ocoee intact; and
WHEREAS, Map 2 would keep the City of Ocoee together in the same County
Commission District as Apopka and add the municipalities of Oakland and Winter Garden, with
which the City of Ocoee is closely aligned by geography, history, economics, public safety mutual
aid, and other longstanding agreements; and
WHEREAS, the municipalities of Ocoee, Apopka, Winter Garden and Oakland consist of
a single community of interest, with shared planning boundaries, shared public utility networks, a
common transportation network, shared police dispatch and other public safety partnerships, a
combined West Orange Chamber of Commerce, and the West Orange Healthcare District; and
WHEREAS, among all maps, Map 2 would best achieve "(ii) Preservation of municipal
boundaries; (iii) Preservation of cores of prior districts; [and] (iv) Maintaining communities of
interest...," as required by Orange County Resolution 25-M-04; and
WHEREAS, on April 29, 2025, Ocoee Mayor Rusty Johnson and Winter Garden Mayor
John Rees submitted separate written requests to the Mid -Decennial Redistricting Advisory
Committee asking that the Committee recommend a map that would place their cities in the same
County Commission District to help foster their historic, longstanding regional partnerships and
association that goes back a century; and
WHEREAS, the West Orange Chamber of Commerce has voted to support Map 2; and
WHEREAS, the City of Winter Garden has voted to support Map 2; and
WHEREAS, at its August 19, 2025, meeting, on a motion by Commissioner Kennedy,
seconded by Commissioner Firstner, the Ocoee City Commission voted unanimously to endorse
and support Map 2, and directed the City Manager to prepare and transmit this Resolution to the
Mid -Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee.
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SECTION 1. The City of Ocoee hereby formally endorses and expresses its support for
Map 2 (formerly known as OCFL-2025-Washington-2 Map) and asks the Mid -Decennial
Redistricting Advisory Committee to recommend adoption of Map 2 to the Board of County
Commissioners.
SECTION 2. Effective Date. This Resolution is effective as of August 19, 2025,
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 19th DAY OF August, 2025.
APPROVED:
ATTEST: CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
, j e ---
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Melanie Sibbitt, City Clerk
(SEAL)
FOR USE AND RELIANCE, ONLY BY
THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA,
APPROVED AS TO FO% AND
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LEGALITY THIS Z' -7 — AY OF
.12025.
O FISaIHIC KD, MINICK
By. �n a
Richard S. Geller, City Attorney
Rusty Jahn ,y ayor
F""l P11 PA. k I LOW 1 0
ON AUGUST 19,2025,
UNDER AGENDA ITEM NO,
3