Hollywood's ballot amendment won't be counted because of wording error

HOLLYWOOD - With voters already going to the polls, Hollywood found a major mistake in the wording of one of its charter amendment items, number 6. Now votes on that item will not count.

The amendment was supposed to give residents more power. If approved, it would allow citizens to vote on whether some city-owned properties could be sold or leased, taking that power from the commission.

The ballot question says nothing about shifting the approval role to voters.  

Hollywood's longtime city attorney Doug Gonzalez turned in his resignation over the error. 

"Editing of the words on the ballot, the vital information was left off, and it changed the meaning and the intent of the city charter review committee," Hollywood spokeswoman Joann Hussey said.

Pamela Burgio, a lifetime resident, is frustrated and worried.

"The wording is just horrific to the residents," she said.

"The issue is very vital to our community, very not happy about the ballot the way it was worded."

Hussey said the immediate remedy is that the city will operate as though it passed until it can be brought up at the next election. 

"We are going to make it a requirement that if you want to lease or sell city property, you're going to have to go out to the voters to ask them if that's what they want to do," she said. 

Development is a big issue in Hollywood as resident grapple with how much they want to see and where. 

"Hollywood is a small town, left in time, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and we can see what happened in Sunny Isles and down in Miami. It's all solid concrete," resident Mark Ross said. 

Voters will have to wait two years before seeing the issue back on the ballot. That won't happen until November 2026.  

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Ted Scouten

Multiple Emmy award winning journalist Ted Scouten has been the familiar face at the scene of international stories that have affected South Florida since 1998.