Orange County mayor responds to city mayors on rural boundary, voluntary annexation

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is responding to nine Central Florida mayors and city attorneys after last week-- they raised concerns about the county commission’s proposals.

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The county is working to add rural boundaries and voluntary annexation to the ballot.

But the group of mayors and council are calling it  “ill suited”, an infringement on home rule authority and a violation to the state’s constitutional law.

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The proposals would make it more difficult to build on rural land and would grant the county veto power over an attempt to annex land.

Demings said in a letter sent Wednesday the county disagrees with the stance of these other city officials.

“We believe it is important to allow the residents of Orange County the opportunity to express their desires on how our community should grow by providing them with a voice at the ballot box,” Demings wrote.

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The other mayors and city attorneys who signed the letter to the mayor against the rural boundaries initiative include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer as well as the Apopka, Eatonville, Edgewood, and Windermere mayors.

Today—Demings invited all of them to meet to discuss the matter.

The public hearing on the final proposed charter amendment for voluntary annexation is scheduled for August 13.

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