Citrus Chronicle
By: Mike Wright
Published: May 25, 2008

Three representatives of environmental organizations will ask Citrus County commissioners on Tuesday to place a referendum on the November ballot relating to the Suncoast Parkway 2 project.

Former state Rep. Helen Spivey said county commissioners should get the public’s view on the parkway project before commissioners decide in 2009 whether or not to support the 27-mile extension through Citrus County.

Spivey, Renee McPheeters and Theresa Waldron are scheduled to make their presentation at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The regular commission meeting begins at 1 p.m. at the courthouse in downtown Inverness.

All three oppose the parkway. They say they believe most Citrus County residents oppose the project as well, but the only way to know for certain is through a referendum.

"How is a citizen who lives anywhere along that route going to benefit by that road?” Spivey asked. "No one benefits.”

McPheeters, who is a candidate for county commission District 1 against incumbent Dennis Damato in the Republican primary, said citizens should be heard.

"If I were a county commissioner, I would not want the responsibility of voting for the whole county,” she said. "I think the people need a chance to choose.”

Although Turnpike Enterprise Florida has the final decision about whether to build the road or not, a vital element is public support. The state considers a county commission vote to represent that support.

The county commission is on record for nearly 10 years in support of the parkway. A formal vote, however, is not scheduled until 2009.

Commission Chairwoman Joyce Valentino tried unsuccessfully to get the measure on the ballot. She made a motion at a recent commission meeting but found no support.

Commissioner Vicki Phillips, however, said last week she is willing to listen to arguments for a referendum. Phillips said it is her strong belief, though, that the parkway is needed to alleviate traffic that Suncoast Parkway 1 will eventually bring from the Tampa Bay area.

"I firmly believe I’m elected to make those decisions,” Phillips said. "I hear from more people who support the parkway than those who don’t.”

* WHAT: Citrus County Commission meeting.

* WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday.

* WHERE: Citrus County Courthouse, 110 N. Apopka Ave., downtown Inverness Agenda includes:

* 2 p.m. — discussion about the five-year capital improvement plan.

* 3:15 p.m. — presentation about the Citrus 2020 Vision Check.

* 3:45 p.m. — audit presentation by the clerk of court on the county’s purchasing card program.

* 4 p.m. — presentation by Helen Spivey, Renee McPheeters and Theresa Waldron seeking a referendum for Suncoast Parkway 2.

* 5 p.m. — public hearing about the springs protection amendment to the comprehensive plan.

* Resolution setting a referendum about the November election ballot to relocate principal offices of constitutional officers outside Inverness, but within the county seat.