_add-on a)Add-on a)
Sponsored by: Commissioner Harris
City Commission Meeting: 11-15-16
Page 1 of 3
RESOLUTION No. _______________ 1
2
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami, 3
Florida, advocating the legal separation of Florida into two separate states, 4
creating the 51st state in the Union and naming it “South Florida”. 5
6
Whereas, presently, the State of Florida consists of 67 counties in an area of 7
approximately 56,000 square miles with a population of approximately 19,135,000 people; and 8
9
Whereas, the new proposed State of South Florida would have 24 counties (“which 10
counties shall herein after be referred to as “South Florida”). These 24 counties are 35% of the 11
total number of counties in the current State of Florida and they would comprise approximately 12
23,000 square miles in area. Thus, South Florida would be comprised of 39% of the area of the 13
current State of Florida and would have a population of approximately 13,375,000 people which 14
is 67% of the total population of the current State of Florida; and 15
16
Whereas, presently, the State of Florida collects approximately 22 billion dollars in sales 17
and documentary taxes from all of Florida, of which 69 percent, 15.25 billion dollars, is collected 18
in south Florida; and 19
20
Whereas, the new State of South Florida will consist of 24 counties with its northern 21
border being Brevard, Orange, Polk, Hillsborough and Pinellas and include the other 19 counties 22
south of those five counties; and 23
24
Whereas, South Florida Water Management District starts in Orange County and 25
includes most of the aforementioned Counties in south Florida; and 26
27
Whereas, the average elevation of the present State of Florida is approximately 100 feet 28
above sea level. North Florida is approximately 120 feet above sea level while the average 29
elevation of south Florida is less than 50 feet with a very large portion of south Florida averaging 30
less than 15 feet above sea level. Many sections of south Florida are five feet or less above sea 31
level, including Monroe County and the Gold Coast, consisting of Palm Beach County, Broward 32
County and Miami-Dade County. This area also includes the Everglades National Park, Big 33
Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park and the Turkey Point nuclear reactors. These 34
reactors are 42 years old and less than five feet above sea level with in excess of 2.5 million 35
pounds of nuclear waste buried on the grounds of the nuclear plant. 36
37
Whereas, Lake Okeechobee, located in south Florida, is the second largest freshwater 38
lake in the United States and the source of much of the fresh water supplied to south Florida and 39
could be severely compromised by rising sea levels; and 40
41
Whereas, climate change is a scientific reality resulting in global warming and rising sea 42
level; and 43
44
Add-on a)
Sponsored by: Commissioner Harris
City Commission Meeting: 11-15-16
Page 2 of 3
Whereas, the apparent winner of the November 8, 2016 presidential election, Donald 1
Trump, has made it clear that he intends to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency 2
(“EPA”); and 3
Whereas, multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97 4
percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the 5
past century are extremely likely due to human activities; and 6
7
Whereas, Donald Trump and Florida’s Governor, Rick Scott, are climate change deniers 8
who ignore the consensus of an overwhelming number of the world’s climate scientists who have 9
concluded that the world is warming at an unusual rate that can only be attributed to human 10
activity; and 11
12
Whereas, Donald Trump has stated that he plans to promote on-shore and off-shore oil 13
exploration and drilling and fracking throughout the United States, including Florida; and 14
15
Whereas, Donald Trump has advocated withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on 16
climate change; and 17
18
Whereas, it is estimated that there will be a three to six-foot sea level rise by the end of 19
this century. In addition, south Florida has very porous rock and, as the level of the sea rises, the 20
pressure will cause water to rise up through the ground and flood the inland areas; and 21
22
Whereas, south Florida’s situation is very precarious and in need of immediate attention. 23
Many of the issues facing south Florida are not political, but are now significant safety issues; 24
and 25
26
Whereas, presently, in order to address the concerns of south Florida, it is necessary to 27
travel to Tallahassee in north Florida. Often south Florida issues do not receive the support of 28
Tallahassee. This is despite the fact that south Florida generates more than 69% of the state’s 29
revenue and contains 67% of the state’s population; and 30
31
Whereas, the creation of the 51st state, South Florida, is a necessity for the very survival 32
of the entire southern region of the current State of Florida. 33
34
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY 35
COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA: 36
37
Section 1. The recitals contained in this resolution are adopted and made a part hereof by 38
reference and they reflect the exigency that now exists and the need for immediate action. 39
40
Section 2. The Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami, Florida, hereby 41
advocate the legal separation of Florida into two separate states, creating the 51st state in the 42
Union, and naming it “South Florida”. It is understood that this is only the first step in a very 43
complicated process and it will ultimately require the approval of the electorate of the entire state 44
as well as Congressional approval. 45
46
Add-on a)
Sponsored by: Commissioner Harris
City Commission Meeting: 11-15-16
Page 3 of 3
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to send a copy of this resolution to all 1
municipalities in Miami-Dade County, the members of the governing bodies of all 24 counties 2
that are in the proposed State of South Florida, and their respective league of cities. 3
4
Section 4. Severability. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for 5
any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding shall 6
not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. 7
8
Section 5. Effective Date. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon 9
adoption. 10
11
PASSED AND ADOPTED this ____ day of _____________, 2016. 12
13
14
ATTEST: APPROVED: 15
16
17
_____________________ ______________________ 18
CITY CLERK MAYOR 19
20
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM, COMMISSION VOTE: 21
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND Mayor Stoddard: 22
EXECUTION THEREOF Vice Mayor Welsh: 23
Commissioner Edmond: 24
_____________________________ Commissioner Liebman: 25
CITY ATTORNEY Commissioner Harris: 26
27