Commission Meeting Agenda Item

On July 6, 2011, the Town Commission adopted Ordinance 2011-11 which provided for the redefinition of the voting wards of the Town of Lady Lake. In accordance with Article 10, Section 10.04 of the Town of Lady Lake, the Town shall be divided into five voting wards, each ward with approximately one-fifth of the population.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducted the decennial census of the United States in 2020, and the data of the census has been published at the block level. Staff has evaluated the population data and has proposed a map which allocates the Town’s population with a roughly equivalent representation of residents in each ward. The population of each ward is as follows based upon the 2020 U.S. Census:

Ward 1   3,330

Ward 2   3,296

Ward 3   3,400

Ward 4   3,121

Ward 5   3,106

Staff has attempted to keep the boundaries as similar to the 2011 boundaries as possible, while incorporating annexed property in a contiguous fashion to account for the population increase since the last redistricting exercise. However, one major change has been made. Ward Five now has jurisdiction over the area referenced as the Village Town Center, or better described as those properties between Avenida Central and Highway 27/441. The past Ward map had nearly all commercial property north of the Highway 27/441 overpass within Ward Four. Although there is very few in population in the Town Center, the adjustment provides for a better balance of commercial properties among the three “Village” commissioner districts. Ward 1 has the Highway 466 corridor, and Wards Four and Five have a division of the properties along the Highway 27/441 corridor.

Staff would like to proceed with drafting an ordinance to adopt the new Commission Ward boundaries as proposed so that the voter rolls can be prepared for the 2022 election calendar.