The People’s House

When local governments silence the voices of those who elected them, it becomes the duty of the people’s representative to restore their rights. The Florida Constitution is clear that the State has authority to act when local charters are ignored and the rights of citizens are denied.

The Marco Island City Charter requires that a vacant council seat be filled within sixty days, yet this did not happen. Months passed without representation for thousands of residents. No one is above the law, not even a local council.

This bill was not my idea. It came from the people of Marco Island. They called, they wrote, they begged their City Council to follow the law, and their pleas were ignored. When local leaders stop listening to their citizens, the only option left is to take their voices to the state level.

This legislation simply gives that voice back. It places the question before the Marco Island voters in a referendum on the 2026 ballot so that they, not politicians, can decide how their local government should operate. That is how representative government is meant to work.

Local bills are not an intrusion on home rule but a safeguard of it, ensuring that local government remains accountable to the people it serves. The people’s house belongs to every citizen, and when their voice is silenced, I will always fight to give it back. That is not just my job. It is my promise.