Appeals court to hear oral arguments in residents' effort to separate from North Port
NORTH PORT – The Second District Court of Appeal scheduled oral arguments for April 23 on a resident group’s appeal of an October 2023 Circuit Court decision that upheld the North Port City Commission’s denial of their attempt to separate from the city.
In that decision, 12th Judicial Circuit Judge Danielle Brewer concluded that in its Oct. 27, 2022 decision, the North Port City Commission afforded the residents' group due process and followed the law as required under the state statutes when it reaffirmed a previous denial of the efforts of the West Villagers for Responsible Government.
The residents appealed her ruling to the Second District Court of Appeal, contending that Brewer incorrectly applied case law when she made her decision.
On March 6, the appeals court agreed to schedule oral arguments by video conference at 9:30 a.m. April 23, with a panel consisting of judges Stevan T. Northcutt, Nelly N. Khouzam and Robert J. Morris. The court can be accessed at https://2dca.flcourts.gov.
What do the residents want?
The West Villagers for Responsible Government group wants the North Port city limits contracted to the Myakka River and Wellen Park and other properties west of the river revert to Sarasota County.
The movement started in 2020, as residents grew frustrated with how the City Commission managed North Port's budget, taking issue with decisions such as the construction of the North Port Aquatic Center, instead of using funds to upgrade and maintain infrastructure.A state law approved in 2023 by the Legislature amended aspects of the law for annexations that would block future similar resident efforts anywhere in the state.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Appeals court to hear oral argument in North Port contraction case
