Split State Proposal Would Cut Tampa Bay Area in Half

If officials in South Miami had their way, the Tampa Bay area would be split in two right along with the entire Sunshine State.

Under a resolution passed in the city of South Miami, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties would be part of South Florida, the nation’s 51st state. Meanwhile, Pasco, Hernando and other counties to the north would operate under a completely separate state government.

The new South Florida would contain 24 counties in all.

City of South Miami Vice Mayor Walter Harris proposed the notion of splitting the state back on Oct. 7. His resolution passed by a 3-2 vote.

Harris says South Florida isn’t properly represented by Tallahassee in many issues, especially in regard to rising sea levels. Harris isn’t alone in that contention.

“It’s very apparent that the attitude of the northern part of the state is that they would just love to saw the state in half and just let us float off into the Caribbean,” Mayor Philip Stoddard, who also voted in favor of the measure, was quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying.

While South Miami would like to see the state split in two, the proposal doesn’t hold much water at this time. For secession to actually happen, Congress would have to approve as would voters throughout the entire state.

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