State Rep. Tyler Sirois Sends Letter to Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency Declining to Put Referendum on Ballot About Making Merritt Island a City

Letter was Sent on July 31, 2023

WATCH: Should Merritt Island become a city? State Rep. for Brevard, Tyler Sirois, addresses the members of The Space Coast Patriots at their monthly meeting at The Merritt Island Library to outline his reasons for not supporting the incorporation of Merritt Island.

WATCH: Should Merritt Island become a city? State Rep. for Brevard, Tyler Sirois, addresses the members of The Space Coast Patriots at their monthly meeting at The Merritt Island Library to outline his reasons for not supporting the incorporation of Merritt Island.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – State Rep. Tyler Sirois of District 31 released a letter that notified the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency of his intentions to not put a referendum question on the next ballot that would make Merritt Island a city.

Below is a copy of Rep. Sirois’ letter sent to Marcus Herman of the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency.

“Dear Mr. Herman,

Thank you for meeting with me to discuss Merritt Island incorporation. I have reviewed the initial incorporation feasibility study and proposed charter that you provided on July 19, 2023. Given that I represent most of the Merritt Island area, you requested that I consider sponsoring legislation enacting a city charter, establishing municipal boundaries, and adding a referendum question to the ballot asking voters to approve or reject the creation of Merritt Island as a municipality. The purpose of this letter is to outline my reasons for respectfully declining your request.

If I were to sponsor this act, I would be breaking a pledge to my constituents to support policies that reduce the scope of government and tax burden on families and small businesses. The initial financial projection assumes that the new city would maintain “all existing levels of taxation and fees being charged by Brevard County.” ́ The report goes on to list a number of taxes not presently collected but that a new city council could consider “‘implementation of the tax at a later date”. ́ As a consequence of incorporation, the Board of County Commissioners may be forced to increase taxes or, alternatively, reduce services to account for tax revenue diverted from the county to the proposed City of Merritt Island. The report’s allusion to the financial neutrality of incorporation may not be the policies adopted by the future city council.

Proponents of incorporation have suggested that this matter should be decided solely by a referendum question. The Florida Constitution empowers the legislature with a definitive role in the creation of municipalities. Given my positions on limited government and low taxes, positions upon which my constituents are well-informed, I view deference to a referendum question as essentially passing the buck on a policy decision for which I am willing to accept responsibility. With high interest rates, inflation, and legislative reforms to the homeowners insurance market still evolving, I cannot in good conscience advance a policy that potentially increases the financial burden on families and small businesses.

Please know that while we disagree on this issue, I appreciate your service to the community and share your interest in improving the quality of life for Merritt Island residents. In that spirit, if you and your colleagues have specific infrastructure or public safety projects in mind, I stand ready to work with Commissioner Goodson, the Board of County Commissioners, and my colleagues in the Florida Legislature to secure resources. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.”

Sincerely,

Tyler I. Sirois

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