NORTH PORT, Fla. — The clock is ticking for North Port voters to decide if they are in favor of or against the city charter referendum.
North Port resident Pam Tokarz told FOX 4 Community Correspondent Victoria Scott she doesn't want it passed for several reasons.
You can watch Victoria's full report here:
"I'm against the referendum because it is two parts," Tokarz said. "One part is for emergency borrowing. Some concerned citizens do agree with the fact about the emergency borrowing. However, the second part to it is taking out loans for public health and safety projects which are infrastructure."
Tokarz said it would also take away her voice on what debt the city should take on in the future.
“This is one way we as citizens can keep our voice and let the city know that we want to be able to control what debt the city takes on," she said.
However, the President of Quality TV in North Port said voters should approve the referendum.
"If we have to wait a year, year and a half to get something approved to go to the ballot to do that, the cost of what the city is trying to do by fixing infrastructure and do safety things they need to do is increasing by millions of dollars," said President of Quality TV Mike Morales.
Morales helped start the PAC North Port Rising with other businesses in the area.
He told Scott it was started to educate residents on the referendum.
"So, we decided, 'Hey, let's put something together where we can put information out and do advertising, make signs, and explain to people what it is,'" Morales said.
He said things have gone well with the PAC since it started in August.
"We've seen a lot of support for it," Morales said.
Early voting for the 2024 General Election ends Sunday, Nov. 3, in Sarasota County.
