A member of the Wildwood Citizens Advisory Committee has raised concerns about gerrymandering in connection with plans to revise the city charter.
Wildwood officials are looking to create districts for the election of commissioners rather than continue to have them elected at large .
The move is seen as an attempt to protect the existing commission from the rush of new Wildwood citizens due to the growth of The Villages and other new developments.
But in a CAC meeting last week, CAC appointee Karen Judd said of a draft of a proposed map, “This looks a little ridiculous.”
She objected to a “thumb” that jutted in and out of a neighborhood.
That thumb is in a district drawn up for Mayor Ed Wolf.
City officials said the map was drawn up with the objective of protecting incumbent commissioners.
“Gerrymandering is not a good thing,” Judd said. “It’s never been a good thing.”
A resident of Wildwood since 1995, Judd said she has nothing “personal” against the mayor.
“Mayor Wolf has been a partner with The Villages for a long time. And now he faces the actual consequences of growth,” she said.
The starting point for carving the city into five districts was each of the commissioners’ residences.
Mayor Wolf and Commissioner Julian Green reside within a fairly close proximity of one other.
Green’s proposed District 3 would run along County Road 466A while Mayor Wolf’s District 4 would run all the way to the Florida Turnpike.
Villager Joanne Coen, who heads the League of Women Voters of the Villages/Tri-County Area, said the league is philosophically opposed to gerrymandering.
“We do not support any kind of district that favors one group over another,” she said.
The league has been sending an observer to meetings in Wildwood and Fruitland Park, as both cities are considering charter revisions and a switch to district representation.
“We are looking for openness and accountability,” said Carol Van Noy of the Village of Tamarind Grove who has been attending Wildwood and Fruitland Park meetings on behalf of the league.
She was there last week when Judd raised her concern about gerrymandering.
“From the standpoint of layout of the districts, I think she’s right,” Van Noy said.
The irony is that in both Wildwood and Fruitland Park, voters will not consider the actual districts and their boundaries if they see a referendum on their November ballots.
Voters will be asked only to vote on a charter revision and the switch to districts.
The districts will be drawn after the referendum ballots have already been cast.
