Aim & Purpose

The Charlotte County Civic Association, Inc. is a non-partisan educational, fraternal, and social organization dedicated to the free exchange of information and ideas between the residents of Charlotte County, Florida. All issues affecting the county including good government, public safety, the environment, development, business, education, health care, retirement, roads, and recreation are freely and openly discussed.

The Association does not endorse any particular candidates for office, nor are incumbent public officials exempt from review and critique, regardless of party affiliation. Specific topics of current discussion are the Murdock Village problem, the potential for incorporation of unincorporated areas, the budget, our economy, sales tax extensions, building height limitations, offshore drilling, and red tide. Our philosophy is that we are all Americans by providence, Charlotte County residents by choice, and that the frequent and liberal exercise of free speech by concerned citizens is the greatest asset in the search for the truth.

All residents, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, are invited to participate in the dialogue on improving the quality of life of those living in Charlotte County. You may contact us at CharlotteCountyCivicAssoc@gmail.com. Please advise if you would like to be included in our e-mail or postal mailing list to be kept advised of upcoming projects and events.

  1. A LOOK AT INCORPORATION

An excerpt of the article below was originally published in the Sun Newspaper on February 16, 2007.

Englewood Incorporation Study

It is the intent of this study to discuss the ramifications of incorporating the geographical area known as "Englewood." The purpose is, hopefully, to initiate dialogue on the benefits to be derived from establishing a local form of government that is smaller, and more responsive to the needs of the citizens of Englewood than is currently the case. This piece is to be considered a work in progress, and comments, criticisms, and input from any and all interested parties is welcomed and encouraged.

History

It may be surprising to many that the town identified as Englewood on maps of S.W. Florida since the Nichols brothers recorded their plat in 1896, currently utilized by its residents as their hometown address, and prominently identified on highway signs on its borders, legally does not exist. Under the law, Englewood is an unincorporated area located in Sarasota and Charlotte Counties. As such, in all material aspects of governance, all decisions affecting its welfare are made in the county seats of the respective counties it straddles, the cities of Sarasota and Punta Gorda. What may be most surprising is the fact that Englewood was a legally incorporated municipality from 1925 to 1930, when the Great Depression forced the town fathers to give up their charter. It is unknown whether the abolishment of the town status was accomplished legally, either by a special act of the Florida Legislature or by a vote of the residents in accordance with Chapter 165 of the Florida Statutes.


The Geographical Area

The geographical area commonly referred to as Englewood has, at various times, included all or part of the neighborhoods known as Englewood, Englewood Beach, Manasota Key, East Englewood, North Englewood, Grove City, Rotunda, Cape Haze, Placida and Vineland. For the purposes of this discussion, a proposal to incorporate a geographical area as the town of Englewood may wish to begin with those areas currently designated as the "preferred city name" by the U.S. Postal Service. *1 These include the zip codes of 34223 and 34224, with the exception of the Venice Airport and the section of Manasota Key north of the Manasota Key Road Bridge, both of which would be excluded as being more commonly associated with the neighborhood of South Venice.

*1. http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/MapZip.asp?zip=34223; http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/MapZip.asp?zip=34224

Roughly speaking, the boundaries of the town of Englewood would be Manasota Beach Road to the north, Buck Creek to the South, Sunnybrook Boulevard to the East and the Gulf of Mexico to the west (see map). Rotunda would be excluded both since it does not fall into the referenced zip codes, and owing to its own compact, quasi self-governing community parameters. Grove City, which has its own rich history and established boundaries, would be included. Although it is possible for Grove City to consider a move towards independence on its own, its lack of a focused, centralized downtown area of commercial activity would inhibit such an effort. A partnership with its neighbor which not only has such a downtown, but also a public beach, a theater, and its own newspaper would presumably cause it to benefit from the local rule afforded by such an association. Any and all traditional neighborhoods which would come to be associated with the new town of Englewood should, to the greatest extent possible, have their unique and distinct characteristics preserved, including signage delineating their boundaries, neighborhood organizations designated by their traditional names, and representation in whatever form of government the new town decides to adopt. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population for zip code 34223 was 18,002 and that for 34224 was 14,984 for a total population for the two area codes of 32,986. Assuming a conservative estimate of 1,514 persons having moved into these areas since 2000, a rounded off population estimate for the new town would be 35,000. The State of Florida contained 413 legal municipalities as of November/06. A search of the population of these municipalities reveals that the town of Englewood would be larger than 345 of those towns, and would be in the top 84% in population of all Florida towns. *2 It would more than double the population of Punta Gorda (2004 pop. 17,000) the only incorporated town in Charlotte County, and would roughly equal the population of DeSoto County (2005 est. 35,406).

*2. http://www.citypopulation.de/USA-Florida.html;
http://www.flcities.com/city_links.asp?b=a&e=b

Benefits

"The closer government is to the governed, the more responsive it is." *3 There are many important issues facing the residents of Englewood today. Concerns such as development, local infrastructure, crime, traffic and commercial opportunities are almost always more effectively addressed from a local standpoint. County Administrators, though well-intentioned, by definition look at issues from a county or regional perspective. But what often is good sound planning designed to serve the needs of a county constituency, is, in practice, not always what best serves the interests of the locally affected citizenry.

*3. Brian Gleason Editorial, The Englewood Sun, 2/1/07

Englewood is fairly unique in that this scenario is further aggravated by the fact that its area falls within the jurisdiction of not one, but two counties. Thus, the aims and purposes of each county are sometimes not only at odds with the desires of local residents, but with the adjoining county as well. The affected area is thus placed into a virtual tug-of-war between competing and sometimes conflicting county interests. The centerpiece of any town of Englewood must be a revitalized downtown area. Presently, this area can best be described as a diamond in the rough. Much has been written and promised regarding improvement to this area, but in the thirty years this author has been familiar with the area, real progress has been slow in coming. This is not surprising when one considers that County Administrators in their planning and development capacities have a responsibility to all of their county's constituents. In Sarasota County, that constituency numbers 366,000 residents occupying 725 square miles, in Charlotte County, it is 158,000 residents living on 859 square miles. Englewood's 35,000 residents on 60 square miles seem paltry in comparison, especially when that population is further split between the two counties. Two neighboring incorporated towns of similar plan and location, Venice to the north and Naples to the south, offer interesting comparisons as to what can be achieved when local residents take control of their own future. Both are attractive, clean, commercially active, and the pride of all those living within their borders and surrounding areas. Elected officials whose sole responsibility and focus is on their own community can do wonders when given a compact, manageable area to govern. Input from "Neighborhood Advisory Committees," lacking real authority and limited to making recommendations are often ignored by the counties that created them and are no substitute for local residents empowered by their own municipality's legal recognition. Resident involvement, participation, and volunteerism also are greatly encouraged when each citizen feels he is part of and contributing directly to the enhancement of his own neighborhood community.


Conclusion

The county form of government was originally designed for the administration of large, unincorporated, rural landscapes, and in that respect, it works fairly well. But county government was never intended to be the last stop on the road to good government. It is the second step in a three phase plan for state, county and municipal rule and one which, when size, motivation and conditions permit, is to be aspired to in almost every case. Not only is it more responsive to the needs of the residents of the governed area, more importantly, it is more answerable. It is easier to march into a mayor's office and demand repair of a pothole, than to travel to the county seat to attend a Commissioners' Meeting. And it is easier to identify and remove the party responsible if they don't.Englewood is sometimes referred to as the "lovechild" of Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Such derision is particularly unfair since the area's identification as Englewood since 1896 predates both counties' creation in 1921. Englewood's incorporation in 1925 has to be construed as some level of resident dissatisfaction with the creation of Sarasota and Charlotte Counties which came about only 4 years prior. Today, both counties have their hands full dealing with issues of a truly regional nature, requiring regional approaches, such as improving and expanding infrastructure, the widening of River Road, construction of a new prison, reining in road-busting pit mines, restoration of the old County Court House, increasing public access to recreational areas, red tide, and so on. Anything worthwhile is worth working, and sometimes fighting, for. The time has now come for the illegitimate lovechild to be legally adopted and re-legitimized by its own resident-children, before it's too late.


About the Author

The Hon. Paul A. Stamoulis served as a Municipal Court Judge for five years in Hazlet, New Jersey. His first contact with the Englewood area came in 1976 when his family owned a restaurant in town. He is a strong proponent of local rule and his greatest desire is to see an institution of higher education locate within the region, offering convenient advanced educational opportunities to the area's youth. He may be reached at judgepauls@comcast.net by anyone interested in the issue.




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