Avon Park Dilemma: Try Again?

End of story?

Published by The Lakeland, FL Ledger
Wednesday, July 26
By Eric PeraThe Ledger

AVON PARK -- A City Council supporter of the controversial proposal to outlaw assistance to undocumented workers in Avon Park said Tuesday he doesn't want to revisit the issue with an amended version.

The proposed ordinance failed by a narrow 3-2 vote Monday night following an impassioned public hearing that garnered national attention.

After voting, several council members inferred that a retooled version could be brought back for a vote sometime in the near future -- an idea fostered by Mayor Tom Macklin.Macklin drafted the ordinance patterned after a law passed earlier this month in Hazleton, Pa.

A similar measure is also being considered in Palm Bay in Brevard County.

But at least two council members Tuesday said they have no appetite for pursuing the matter further, including Doug Eason, the only member who sided with Macklin in voting for the proposal.

He and Councilman George Hall said it would do no good to try to repackage an issue that divided this small Highlands County town.

"I voted for it because I thought it was the right thing to do," Eason said. "I thought it would serve as an example to other cities."

However, he said he isn't interested in keeping the issue alive.

"I have no intentions of bringing it up" for a future vote," he said.

Hall said he'd prefer to address issues related to illegal immigrants through laws and codes that already are on the city books.

"I don't disagree with the intention of the (proposed) ordinance," he said, "I just think we can do that without the divisiveness. But I agree with the mayor -- a lot of that (opposition) was with people taking the ordinance out of context. It got so blown out of proportion and was inflammatory." Had it passed, the proposed ordinance would have made English the city's official language. It also would have imposed fines for those who offer jobs, services or housing to illegal immigrants.

Titled the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, it was intended to stop illegal immigration that "destroys our neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life," the act read.

The Avon Park Chamber of Commerce and many local companies with a substantial Hispanic work force or customer base strongly opposed the ordinance. Citrus growers, an influential economic sector in Highlands County, led the opposition from the business community.

A Tampa law firm sent a letter to the city promising a legal challenge if the ordinance was passed.

Councilwoman Brenda Gray cast the decisive "no" vote.

She said she switched her vote from a month ago after praying for guidance.

"The ordinance was not introduced in the right way," she said after the meeting that included a public hearing. "When an ordinance is given to me, I like to feel all the I's are dotted and the T's crossed. This needs to be looked at again.

"But even with the mayor's support, both Eason and Hall said they see no reason to resurrect the controversial ordinance.

"I think we can spend time on the issues," Hall said, "but I think we already have a method (to address them).

"Eason said he's been bombarded with e-mails from people throughout the nation, most of whom support a law to crack down on the flood of immigrants entering the country illegally.

"For every one that was against it I got probably 25 (e-mails) that were for it," Eason said.
"Something needs to be done to help these people. I'm not against them, (but) it's a national security problem."

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.