🌅 🏛️ Fort Pierce Voting Rights Debate Delayed

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Take Back Fort Pierce, the group pushing to change how Fort Pierce city commissioners are elected, announced Monday night it will not be pursuing a November 2026 ballot initiative and is delaying the effort to 2028 🏛️.

We first covered this story earlier this month when Sunland News requested statements from all five Fort Pierce commissioners on the initiative. Two responded. The other three did not.

As a reminder, the most controversial piece of what Take Back Fort Pierce is proposing would have all Fort Pierce voters decide commission races in both districts rather than just the residents of each district. Critics say that would effectively undo the 1993 federal court order that established district voting in Fort Pierce after the NAACP, ACLU and Florida Rural Legal Services sued the city alleging its previous at-large system violated the Voting Rights Act and hurt minority representation 👀.

Commissioner Arnold Gaines was direct: "I do not support the initiative and will do everything I can to prevent the residents of District 1 from losing the ability to elect representatives that live in or are from their community, including joining all potential future litigation."

Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky raised a series of questions in a written response, including who is financing the effort and whether all campaign finance requirements are being met. His bottom line: "I have yet to see any credible analysis demonstrating what effect this proposal would actually have on voter participation, minority voting strength, neighborhood representation, or election outcomes."

Spokesperson Charles Wilson, who is reportedly the nephew of Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson, disputed that the proposal has any racial motivation. When asked about his legal residence after Dzadovsky suggested he may actually live in Vero Beach, Wilson did not respond.

What's next: The charter amendment push is now targeting 2028 📅.

💬 What do you think about this proposal? Tell us right here

Breeze Airways announced five new routes from Vero Beach Regional Airport with one-way fares starting at $79. Starting September 30 through October, travelers can fly nonstop to Trenton, Baltimore, and Atlantic City or one-stop service to Burlington, Vermont and Provo, Utah. Breeze operates 300+ routes to 91 cities across the US, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The expansion follows JetBlue service to Boston and New York in December and American Airlines to Charlotte in February, responding to the airport's dramatic passenger growth.

👉 Read more (WPTV)

Fort Pierce's Florida Highwaymen Museum is a featured stop on the 250 Road Trip. The museum honors 26 Black artists who painted Florida landscapes starting in the 1950s, selling roadside during segregation when traditional galleries were closed to them. Located at 1234 Avenue D, it's the nation's only museum featuring works from all 26 Highwaymen artists. Summer hours run Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m., with the museum closed in August and reopening September with a new exhibit.

👉 Read more (WPTV)

Stuart City Commission postponed its backyard chicken proposal until its September 14 meeting after a divided vote. The ordinance would allow East Stuart residents to keep up to four chickens with a 7-foot coop and 5-foot fence, plus a $10 annual fee. Commissioner Campbell Rich voiced concerns about enforcement costs and chicken waste impacts on local waterways, though the ordinance was revised to prohibit coops near creeks and tributaries. Residents largely supported the proposal, with redevelopment board member Bonnie Moser advocating for food sovereignty. Commissioner Laura Giobbi requested staff address issues with urban centers, rentals and duplexes before the final vote.

👉 Read more (WQCS)

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