Village of Estero referendum approved by House Estero residents are one step closer to getting a chance to form a city.
The state House passed Estero's incorporation bill with a vote of 115-3 this morning. The measure, which would place an Estero incorporation referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, still needs to pass the Senate and get Gov. Rick Scott's signature. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill sometime next week. If passed by the Senate, Scott could take until June to review and sign the measure.
With unanimous support from Lee County's state politicians, no objection from its southern neighbor Bonita Springs and petitions with the signatures of more than 10,000 residents, an Estero incorporation referendum looks like a fait accompli.
"I expect it will pass the Senate and Gov. Scott will sign it," said State Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, who sponsored the bill. "Estero leaders did a three-month petition drive and got more than 10,000 signatures. That's 35 percent of the people who will be living in the Village of Estero. We haven't seen a petition drive collect that many signatures in Lee County in the last 25 years."
Nick Batos, the chairman of the Estero Council of Community Leaders, was pleased the House passed the bill Friday.
"It's another hurdle we got through," Batos said. "We're waiting now for the Senate to act next week. And we'll take it from there to the Governor's office."
Lee County's state House representatives supported Friday's vote. John Tobia, R-Brevard County, John Wood, R-Polk County, and Matt Gaetz, R-Okaloosa County, voted against the measure. Michelle Rehwinkel-Vasilinda, D-Leon County, and Seth McKeel, R-Polk County, didn't cast a vote.
In December, Lee County's six-member political delegation expected a local Estero cityhood bill to sail through the Legislature and end up on the November ballot for Estero's 28,000 residents. Lee's delegation voted 6-0 in December to file the Estero incorporation bill.
The majority of local incorporation bills are approved by the state if they have unanimous support from the community's elected leaders, state Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said. Estero's matter will also be buoyed by the overwhelming support it received from the community.
Incorporation bills go to the Senate in the form of a consent agenda. The Senate doesn't vote on incorporation bills, instead asking the community's senator to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down vote.
"That's me," Richter said. "And I hear Estero's message."
About 10,238 Estero residents signed petitions asking the delegation for a right to vote on incorporation. Twenty community homeowners' organizations and 13 neighborhoods wrote letters of support. Those communities represent 14,000 residents.
Bonita Springs Mayor Ben Nelson told Lee County's delegation his city has no objection to Estero's incorporation attempt. Estero started its incorporation movement after the city of Bonita Springs annexed 123 Estero acres owned by WCI Communities and the 12.6-acre Coconut Point Marina owned by the Pelican Landing Community Association. The properties both wanted to be part of Bonita.
The state House passed Estero's incorporation bill with a vote of 115-3 this morning. The measure, which would place an Estero incorporation referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, still needs to pass the Senate and get Gov. Rick Scott's signature. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill sometime next week. If passed by the Senate, Scott could take until June to review and sign the measure.
With unanimous support from Lee County's state politicians, no objection from its southern neighbor Bonita Springs and petitions with the signatures of more than 10,000 residents, an Estero incorporation referendum looks like a fait accompli.
"I expect it will pass the Senate and Gov. Scott will sign it," said State Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, who sponsored the bill. "Estero leaders did a three-month petition drive and got more than 10,000 signatures. That's 35 percent of the people who will be living in the Village of Estero. We haven't seen a petition drive collect that many signatures in Lee County in the last 25 years."
Nick Batos, the chairman of the Estero Council of Community Leaders, was pleased the House passed the bill Friday.
"It's another hurdle we got through," Batos said. "We're waiting now for the Senate to act next week. And we'll take it from there to the Governor's office."
Lee County's state House representatives supported Friday's vote. John Tobia, R-Brevard County, John Wood, R-Polk County, and Matt Gaetz, R-Okaloosa County, voted against the measure. Michelle Rehwinkel-Vasilinda, D-Leon County, and Seth McKeel, R-Polk County, didn't cast a vote.
In December, Lee County's six-member political delegation expected a local Estero cityhood bill to sail through the Legislature and end up on the November ballot for Estero's 28,000 residents. Lee's delegation voted 6-0 in December to file the Estero incorporation bill.
The majority of local incorporation bills are approved by the state if they have unanimous support from the community's elected leaders, state Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said. Estero's matter will also be buoyed by the overwhelming support it received from the community.
Incorporation bills go to the Senate in the form of a consent agenda. The Senate doesn't vote on incorporation bills, instead asking the community's senator to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down vote.
"That's me," Richter said. "And I hear Estero's message."
About 10,238 Estero residents signed petitions asking the delegation for a right to vote on incorporation. Twenty community homeowners' organizations and 13 neighborhoods wrote letters of support. Those communities represent 14,000 residents.
Bonita Springs Mayor Ben Nelson told Lee County's delegation his city has no objection to Estero's incorporation attempt. Estero started its incorporation movement after the city of Bonita Springs annexed 123 Estero acres owned by WCI Communities and the 12.6-acre Coconut Point Marina owned by the Pelican Landing Community Association. The properties both wanted to be part of Bonita.