Some prominent black residents, and others in West Palm Beach, are not happy with the city’s current district configuration, and they’re becoming increasingly vocal about it.
The argument has intensified as the commission prepares to set the new district boundary lines. The city has seen a big shift in the last decade, with the western communities exploding in population and the south end losing residents.
After the commission proposed splitting the historic black neighborhoods, with the Northwest shifting to Kimberly Mitchell’s coast-hugging District 3, the outcry from black leaders prompted Mayor Jeri Muoio and commissioners to table redistricting for two weeks and allow additional maps to be created by residents that keeps the Northwest with Coleman Park and Northwood. The commission will have final say on boundary lines.
But that’s just a start for many black leaders in the city, who feel elections are being dominated by voters from western, gated communities who have little in common with their values and don’t understand their needs.
“If we had single member districts that would conceivably give us fair representation because people on the dais would actually represent the communities they live in, and the dais would be significantly different,” resident Elvin Dowling said at Monday’s commission meeting. “Commissioner (Bill) Moss would probably be Raphael Torres because there’s 50 percent Hispanic representation in his district. Commissioner (Sylvia) Moffett would almost certainly look different because there’s a huge minority population in her district.”
Commissioner Keith James, who is black and represents the affluent District 4, was quiet at Monday’s commission meeting. But in an interview last week, he said single-member districts would only hurt minority representation. Currently, there are two black commissioners in West Palm Beach, including James and Ike Robinson of District 2.
James said he doubts he would have been elected if only District 4 members could have voted for him.
“With the way its structured with single member districts, there would never be, in my lifetime, more than one African American commissioner up there,” James said. “I don’t want to see West Palm move toward that, a designated black commissioner. I think that’s ridiculous. I’m living, walking proof that this structure can work because you get the best people to run, and they understand that their task is to appeal to all four corners and not just a particular ethnic group.”
There could have been three black commissioners in West Palm Beach. After Molly Douglas resigned her District 1 commission seat to run for mayor, the four remaining commissioners, including James, had to appoint Douglas’ replacement. Robinson voted for former City Commissioner and Northwest resident Robbie Littles, who is black. James voted, along with Moss, to appoint Moffett, who was the favorite of former Mayor Lois Frankel. Muoio was also believed to have favored Moffett.
Had James selected Littles, West Palm would have had a majority black commission for just the second time in the city’s history.
Last week, West Palm NAACP executive director Lia Gaines criticized James for not appointing Littles. She said it wasn’t about Littles’ race, but about his history in the community.
“The community (James) has worked on has had some issues in which Commissioner Littles has championed,” Gaines said. “One of them, which we were doing during the time leading up to the appointment, was the largest contract to a minority contractor.”
James’ own former wife, Gaines said, lost out on the city attorney position with West Palm Beach in the 1990s.
“The community at that time was very upset because one of the candidates we felt was much more qualified was attorney Elaine James who had extensive municipal law experience,” Gaines said. “There were two other African Americans with similar credentials.”
But James said race wasn’t going to play in factor in the appointment decision.
“I had to pick who I thought would be best, and I followed my judgment,” James said last week.
At Monday’s commission meeting, Littles suggested expanding to six districts, along with single-member districts, to accommodate the city’s growth.
“(The western communities), through its prosperity, has grown from 16,000 to roughly 34,000 and it would have what it is justly due,” Littles said. “The rest of city, and more specifically the African American community, would not be split up and essentially politically destroyed.”
Littles said commissioners shouldn’t be concerned with the potential of split votes if the city were to expand to six commissioners. He said other cities with six commissioners rarely have split votes, and the mayor is allowed to vote in the event of a tie.
Any potential changes would have to be approved by the commission and then the voters, unless the court system was to get involved.
Black residents aren’t the only ones concerned about the influence of the western communities. I’ve spoken to several white downtown and south end residents who said they’d prefer single member districts.
Two residents at Monday’s meeting spoke against single member districts and in favor of continuing citywide elections.
“I live in District 1, and I’m a huge minority,” said Mary Margaret Mahon, a north end resident who is white. “We’re much more black than white, and I’m sure there are plenty of Hispanics. As neighbors we face the same issues. Why does it have to be about race? Why can’t it be just be about the person who will represent the ideals of that neighborhood no matter what? I supported Mr. James in his election. I supported Kimberly Mitchell. And it didn’t have anything to do with race. You hear a lot of complaints about how the west controls elections. It’s because they vote.”
Sean Jackson, a District 1 resident who is black, said Littles doesn’t speak for all of the black community.
“There is no way single member districts in any way, shape or form will benefit any African American resident in this city,” Jackson said. “This is not the past. Single member districts worked then, but it will not work now. There are far more African Americans in this city and this county that if any of them wanted to get up and run for office, if they’re strong enough to run for office, and they’re taken seriously enough to run for office, the community at large will take them seriously.”
Origin site: Here
PALM BEACH POST BLOG
The argument has intensified as the commission prepares to set the new district boundary lines. The city has seen a big shift in the last decade, with the western communities exploding in population and the south end losing residents.
- West Palm NAACP director Gaines
- Former City Commissioner Littles
After the commission proposed splitting the historic black neighborhoods, with the Northwest shifting to Kimberly Mitchell’s coast-hugging District 3, the outcry from black leaders prompted Mayor Jeri Muoio and commissioners to table redistricting for two weeks and allow additional maps to be created by residents that keeps the Northwest with Coleman Park and Northwood. The commission will have final say on boundary lines.
But that’s just a start for many black leaders in the city, who feel elections are being dominated by voters from western, gated communities who have little in common with their values and don’t understand their needs.
“If we had single member districts that would conceivably give us fair representation because people on the dais would actually represent the communities they live in, and the dais would be significantly different,” resident Elvin Dowling said at Monday’s commission meeting. “Commissioner (Bill) Moss would probably be Raphael Torres because there’s 50 percent Hispanic representation in his district. Commissioner (Sylvia) Moffett would almost certainly look different because there’s a huge minority population in her district.”
Commissioner Keith James, who is black and represents the affluent District 4, was quiet at Monday’s commission meeting. But in an interview last week, he said single-member districts would only hurt minority representation. Currently, there are two black commissioners in West Palm Beach, including James and Ike Robinson of District 2.
James said he doubts he would have been elected if only District 4 members could have voted for him.
“With the way its structured with single member districts, there would never be, in my lifetime, more than one African American commissioner up there,” James said. “I don’t want to see West Palm move toward that, a designated black commissioner. I think that’s ridiculous. I’m living, walking proof that this structure can work because you get the best people to run, and they understand that their task is to appeal to all four corners and not just a particular ethnic group.”
There could have been three black commissioners in West Palm Beach. After Molly Douglas resigned her District 1 commission seat to run for mayor, the four remaining commissioners, including James, had to appoint Douglas’ replacement. Robinson voted for former City Commissioner and Northwest resident Robbie Littles, who is black. James voted, along with Moss, to appoint Moffett, who was the favorite of former Mayor Lois Frankel. Muoio was also believed to have favored Moffett.
Had James selected Littles, West Palm would have had a majority black commission for just the second time in the city’s history.
Last week, West Palm NAACP executive director Lia Gaines criticized James for not appointing Littles. She said it wasn’t about Littles’ race, but about his history in the community.
“The community (James) has worked on has had some issues in which Commissioner Littles has championed,” Gaines said. “One of them, which we were doing during the time leading up to the appointment, was the largest contract to a minority contractor.”
James’ own former wife, Gaines said, lost out on the city attorney position with West Palm Beach in the 1990s.
“The community at that time was very upset because one of the candidates we felt was much more qualified was attorney Elaine James who had extensive municipal law experience,” Gaines said. “There were two other African Americans with similar credentials.”
But James said race wasn’t going to play in factor in the appointment decision.
“I had to pick who I thought would be best, and I followed my judgment,” James said last week.
At Monday’s commission meeting, Littles suggested expanding to six districts, along with single-member districts, to accommodate the city’s growth.
“(The western communities), through its prosperity, has grown from 16,000 to roughly 34,000 and it would have what it is justly due,” Littles said. “The rest of city, and more specifically the African American community, would not be split up and essentially politically destroyed.”
Littles said commissioners shouldn’t be concerned with the potential of split votes if the city were to expand to six commissioners. He said other cities with six commissioners rarely have split votes, and the mayor is allowed to vote in the event of a tie.
Any potential changes would have to be approved by the commission and then the voters, unless the court system was to get involved.
Black residents aren’t the only ones concerned about the influence of the western communities. I’ve spoken to several white downtown and south end residents who said they’d prefer single member districts.
Two residents at Monday’s meeting spoke against single member districts and in favor of continuing citywide elections.
“I live in District 1, and I’m a huge minority,” said Mary Margaret Mahon, a north end resident who is white. “We’re much more black than white, and I’m sure there are plenty of Hispanics. As neighbors we face the same issues. Why does it have to be about race? Why can’t it be just be about the person who will represent the ideals of that neighborhood no matter what? I supported Mr. James in his election. I supported Kimberly Mitchell. And it didn’t have anything to do with race. You hear a lot of complaints about how the west controls elections. It’s because they vote.”
Sean Jackson, a District 1 resident who is black, said Littles doesn’t speak for all of the black community.
“There is no way single member districts in any way, shape or form will benefit any African American resident in this city,” Jackson said. “This is not the past. Single member districts worked then, but it will not work now. There are far more African Americans in this city and this county that if any of them wanted to get up and run for office, if they’re strong enough to run for office, and they’re taken seriously enough to run for office, the community at large will take them seriously.”
Origin site: Here
PALM BEACH POST BLOG
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