Observer to host Ranch incorporation debate

LAKEWOOD RANCH — The groups advocating and opposing the incorporation of Lakewood Ranch will meet for the first time in the East County Observer’s Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Debate May 9.

The debate, which will feature both questions from the East County Observer as well as selections from readers and attendees, will be from 7-9 p.m., May 9, at The Polo Grill and Bar’s Fête Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Main St. Incorporation proponents Tom Thomaides and Keith Davey will represent the Incorporation Study Committee, and Gary Berns and Bob Hendel will present the anti-incorporation arguments for the Friends of Lakewood Ranch.

Both groups said the debate process is crucial in helping determine the future of Lakewood Ranch.
“(Attending is) critically important,” Thomaides said. “Residents need to know the facts and make an informed decision.

“We want Lakewood Ranch residents to understand that becoming a city 1) is not only feasible but economically beneficial to the entire community, 2) gives us a voice in shaping the continued growth of Lakewood Ranch and 3) is a natural evolution from a rural collection of neighborhoods governed by a distant county structure to a city governed by local representatives with a citywide vision.”

Friends representative Gary Berns said he hopes the debate will convince Lakewood Ranch resident to think more critically about the effects of incorporation.

“Inasmuch as we believe an educated group of residents is our best hope, we believe attendance is very important,” he said. “Only by becoming educated about the pros and cons of incorporation will residents be able to make the informed decision to protect what they now have.

“We hope that this debate will educate the residents on the serious risks and lack of benefits of incorporation,” Berns said. “We believe that exposure to both sides will only help us and will convince residents to sign a petition opposing incorporation.”

Since the idea of Lakewood Ranch incorporating surfaced more than three years ago, the majority of discussion on both sides has centered on whether doing so would be financially feasible. The Incorporation Study Committee bases its support on the study conducted by Florida economist Hank Fishkind. The Friends group has refuted that study and argued that it contains inaccuracies.

Another major point of contention is the change in Lakewood Ranch’s government structure. Currently, the community is governed by Community Development Districts. If Lakewood Ranch incorporates, those CDDs would be replaced with a council/manager form of government. The Friends group maintains that change would give residents less control of their government, while the Incorporation Study Committee argues the council/manager structure has proven successful in similar cities.

“(The most important piece of information is) that the risks of incorporation — including higher taxes, loss of local control, claimed benefits being exaggerated or non-existent, and that there is no going back after incorporating, among other risks — far outweigh any possible benefits,” Berns said. “With that information, residents will realize that forming a new city is a risky venture that jeopardizes the important things they have come to know and love in our neighborhoods.”

Davey said he is confident the work his group already has done will convince residents incorporation is a good idea for all residents.

“We really have done our homework over the past three years and developed recommendations that are based on extensive research, factual studies and reliable data,” he said.

The Debate
WHEN: 7-9 p.m., May 9
WHERE: The Polo Grill and Bar’s Fête Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Main St.
COST: Free. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
DETAILS: Light refreshments will be available. Attendees will be asked to hold their applause.
INFO: Executive Editor Michael Eng, 755-5357, Ext. 402 or [email protected]

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
The East County Observer invites readers to submit questions for consideration for the upcoming debate. To submit questions, email them to Executive Editor Michael Eng at [email protected]. Please put “Incorporation Debate Question” in the subject line.

ABOUT THE DEBATERS
INCORPORATION STUDY COMMITTEE
Keith Davey: A Lakewood Ranch resident since 2005, Davey has served as Lakewood Ranch Community Fund president, Civic Action Forum president, CDD 4 supervisor, Greenbrook Homeowners Association president (2007-2008) and Greenbrook Safety Committee chair (2006-2008). He has 30 years of experience at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.

Tom Thomaides: Thomaides, a Lakewood Ranch resident since 2005, has more than 30 years of management and senior-level executive experience at Fortune 500 financial institutions, including MBNA (Bank of America), MNC Financial, Security Pacific Bank and Great Western Financial. He also has three years of experience in computer technology at McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company. He has no involvement in local government.

FRIENDS OF LAKEWOOD RANCH
Gary Berns: Berns is a retired attorney who specialized in real estate and commercial litigation. He has served as fire commissioner of Woodmere Fire District as well as the Summerfield Forest Neighborhood Committee, the Modification Committee and as CDD 1 supervisor. He also was on the first SRVA Board of Directors and also served as SRVA vice president and president.

Bob Hendel: Hendel, a Lakewood Ranch resident of more than three years, is a retired attorney who specialized in commercial law. He served as executive director of an international firm with 750 lawyers in New York, Asia and Europe. He also has served for several years as president or as a board member of several condominium and homeowners associations located in Connecticut and Utah.