Charter Review Board District 1: Bill Van Allen

Age: 74

Current occupation: Retired.

Sarasota County residency: 39 years. 

Why are you running for election? 

The Charter Review Board has been extraordinarily lackadaisical in its functioning, from ignoring its own bylaws whenever it's convenient, to trying to restrict voters from exercising the power of Home Rule under the Florida Constitution. It's time for a productive change. 

What qualifies you to be a Charter Review Board member? 

I have been involved in county politics since the 1990's, including a tenure as chair of the Libertarian Party of Sarasota County, and co-writing the "Paper Ballot" Charter Amendment that voters approved in 2006 that eliminated touchscreen voting machines. I ran twice for the Florida House in 2002 and 2004, and The Observer Group's Founder and Editor Matt Walsh was my first endorser in that quest. I've lobbied the Florida Legislature twice for tightening up election processes and repealing Florida's Red Flag Law as an unconstitutional Civil Right violation, and spoken before the CRB on many occasions over the last four years to preserve the Home Rule powers of Sarasota County voters. 

What makes you the best candidate?

I understand that the centralization of government power reduces the accountability of elected officials to the people that elected them, and the Florida Constitution's Article VIII, Section 1 provides for the establishment of charter counties for local control of local government. I believe that the government that governs closest to home is the most responsive to the citizens. I've also participated in a passing a Charter Amendment to protect election integrity. 

What, if anything, needs to be updated or changed in the county charter? Why?

First, the why is to give the voters their constitutional say in the operation of county government. Specifically, Section 6.2A needs to cleaned up to conform with court rulings since it was passed; it was NOT entirely invalidated as some current CRB members seem to believe. Section 7.1A that states "Any proposed amendment shall not conflict with The Florida Constitution, general law, or the Charter" needs to have the last three words "or the Charter" removed. It's a logical contradiction that chills the ability of citizens to propose amendments. You cannot amend a document without conflicting with it as written. Clarity in anything put before voters is critical to an informed vote. 

If elected, what will be your top three priorities during your term? 

Restoring voters' ability to amend the Charter, regaining local power though loopholes in the Live Local Act to oversee runaway development and its resulting traffic, green space and water issues, and restoring logic and order to the way the CRB conducts business. 

Where do you stand: Should the Charter Review Board be proactive in initiating changes to the charter, or should the board make recommendations based on voter desires and ideas brought to the board?

That's not an either/or question. Both are within the purview of the CRB, and both need to exercised with two understandings: First, that the Charter is the last line of defense against the centralization of control of county affairs by the State Legislature; and Second, that the only elected Charter Review Board of the 20 charter counties of the 67 counties in Florida, the Sarasota CRB is charged with preserving Home Rule in Florida through demonstrating by our actions why Home Rule under a Charter is beneficial to the people that live here.