Res No 045-15-14384RESOLUTION NO.045-15-1 4384
A Resolution of the City of South Miami requesting that the Miami-
Dade County League of Cities form a committee to investigate the
possibility ofthe creation ofSouth Florida asthe 51st state.
WHEREAS,the City of SouthMiami ("City")passed a resolution on October 7,2014,
advocatingthelegal separation of Floridaintotwoseparatestates,creatingthe 51st stateintheUnion
and naming it "South Florida";and
WHEREAS,thenew proposed state of South Florida would have24 counties ("which
counties shall herein after be referred toas "South Florida").These 24 counties are 35%of thetotal
number of counties inthe current state of Florida andthey would comprise approximately 23,000
squaremilesinarea.Thus,South Florida wouldbe comprised of 39%of thearea of the current state
of Florida and would havea population of approximately 13,375,000 people which is67%of the
total population of the current state of Florida;and
WHEREAS,presently,thestate of Florida collects approximately 22 billion dollarsinsales
and documentary taxes fromall of Florida,of which 69 percent,15.25 billion dollars,is collected in
South Florida;and
WHEREAS,the new state of South Florida will consist of 24 counties with its northern
border being Brevard,Orange,Polk,Hillsborough and Pinellas and include the other 19 counties
south of those five counties;and
WHEREAS,South Florida Water Management District startsin Orange County and includes
most of the aforementioned Counties in South Florida;and
WHEREAS,the average elevation of the present state of Florida is approximately 100feet
abovesealevel.North Florida is approximately 120feetabovesealevel while the average elevation
of South Florida islessthan50feetwithaverylargeportion of South Florida averaginglessthan 15
feetabovesealevel.Many sections of South Florida are5feetorlessabovesealevel,including
Monroe County andtheGoldCoast,consisting of Palm Beach County,Broward County andMiami-
DadeCounty.ThisareaalsoincludestheEvergladesNationalPark,BigCypressNationalPreserve,
BiscayneNationalParkandtheTurkeyPointnuclearreactors.Thesereactorsare42yearsoldand
lessthan5feetabovesealevelwithinexcess of 2.5millionpounds of nuclearwasteburiedonthe
grounds of the nuclear plant.
WHEREAS,LakeOkeechobee,locatedinSouthFlorida,isthesecondlargestfreshwater
lakeintheUnitedStatesandthesourceofmuchofthefreshwatersuppliedtoSouthFloridaand
couldbeseverely compromised byrisingsealevels;and
WHEREAS,climate changeisascientificreality resulting inglobal warming andrisingsea
level;and
WHEREAS,itisestimatedthattherewillbea3to6footsealevelrisebytheend of this
century.Inaddition,SouthFloridahasveryporousrockand,asthelevel of thesearises,the
pressurewillcausewatertoriseupthroughthegroundandfloodtheinlandareas;and
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Res.No.045-15-14384
WHEREAS,South Florida's situationisveryprecariousandinneed of immediateattention.
Many of theissuesfacingSouthFloridaarenotpolitical,butarenowsignificantsafetyissues;and
WHEREAS,presently,inordertoaddresstheconcerns of SouthFlorida,itisnecessaryto
travelto Tallahassee in North Florida.OftenSouth Florida issuesdonot receive the support of
Tallahassee.ThisisdespitethefactthatSouthFloridageneratesmorethan69%ofthestate's
revenue and contains 67%of the state's population;and
WHEREAS,the creation of the 51st state,South Florida,isa necessity forthe very survival
of theentire southern region of the current state of Florida andthis cannot be accomplished byone
municipality alone;and
WHEREAS,the formation of a committee willenable broader range of ideastobeputforth,
allow for people who represent a variety of groups tobe involved,and spread the workload among
the municipalities.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA,THAT:
Section 1.The City of South Miami hereby requests that the Miami-Dade County
League of Citiesforma committee to investigate the possibility of the creation of South Florida as
the 51st state.
Section 2.TheCity Clerk isdirectedtoforwardacopy of this resolution totheMiami-
DadeCountyLeague of Cities,andtotheClerk of allthemunicipalitiesinMiami-DadeCountyfor
transmission to their elected officials.
Section 3.Severability.If anysectionclause,sentence,orphrase of thisresolutionisfor
anyreasonheldinvalidorunconstitutionalbyacourt of competent jurisdiction,theholdingshallnot
affectthevalidity of theremainingportions of thisresolution.
Section 4.Effective Date.Thisresolutionshallbecomeeffectiveimmediatelyupon
adoption byvote of the City Commission.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 17tftiay of March _,2015.
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APPROVED:
COMMISSION VOTE:3-2
Mayor Stoddard:Yea
Vice Mayor Harris:Yea
Commissioner Edmond:Nay
Commissioner Liebman:Nay
Commissioner Welsh:Yea