BusinessForce Applauds the Unanimous Passage of the Petition Initiative Reforms by the Orange County Charter Review Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2016

ORLANDO, FL (February 12, 2016) — The Orange County Charter Review Commission yesterday unanimously approved a series of important reforms that will safeguard the local citizen initiative process from out-of-state special interests. These reforms will bring greater transparency, clarity and fairness to the citizen initiative process.

“We cannot afford for our local government to be infected by the gridlock that grips Washington, D.C. The citizen initiative reforms were necessary to guard our community against DC-based special interest groups that target our region to push a divisive national political agenda,” said Robert Agrusa, Executive Director of Business Force.

“Regardless of political affiliation, ideology or background, the bi-partisan Commission unanimously repudiated DC-based special interests attempts to rewrite our governing document, the County Charter. The Commission voted to ensure that the citizen initiative process be just that, a process by which Orange County citizens can amend the Charter,” said Robert Agrusa, Executive Director of Business Force.

Proposed changes were debated over a nine month period that included 14 public meetings.

“Through a slow and deliberate process that included debate and compromise from all the members of the working group, the Charter Review Commission forged consensus around tested, common sense reforms. The final vote is indicative of great pains taken throughout the entire process to weigh and balance concerns from the entire community. I appreciate the due diligence of the volunteer commission, and thank them for their service to our community,” said Agrusa.

BusinessForce is the political action arm of the Central Florida Partnership. BusinessForce’s goal is to affect positive change in Central Florida through regional public policy advocacy and by encouraging and supporting candidates for public office who, as public officials, will embrace free enterprise and sound, responsible business practices in government.

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CONTACT: Robert Agrusa, Executive Director
 407–907–8082
 robert.agrusa@orlando.org