These local governments have Passed No Build resolutions (last updated 12/1/22): The Levy Board of County Commissioners, the Citrus Board of County Commissioners, the Dunnellon City Council, the Inverness City Council, Inglis Town Commission, the Yankeetown Council, Bronson Town Council, and the Williston City Council have passed their own “No Build” resolutions.

Organize locally to pass a “No Build” resolution! The previous “No Build” or “repeal M-CORES” resolutions previously passed by many local governments will not be considered by FDOT.  Local governments must now pass new “anti-Northern Turnpike Extension” resolutions.  Check out this draft resolution you can use. 

If you are looking for a strategic activity to make it clear to FDOT, the Governor, and the Legislature that local governments reject the NTE, try organizing to pass a “No Build” resolution locally with your County Commission/City Council/Transportation Planning Organization/Metropolitan Planning Organization/Chamber of Commerce! Use this draft resolution to get started!

Have questions or need some coaching on how to get this done? Contact info@noroadstoruin.org and we will guide you through the process.

The most strategic use of our time and energy, while the legislature is in session, is to organize at the local level to get your City Council/County Commission/Metropolitan Planning Organization/Chamber of Commerce to formally oppose the roads by passing a “No Build” resolution. You will find the information you need to start this process for each county/city in the 4-county region on the new website Stop the Turnpike Extension landing page. The template resolution is here.​  Past experience tells us the only way to get a strong resolution passed is to secure champions on the council/commission who will carry it to passage. 

Know when to poke the bear: We will only have so many opportunities to make our case when we ask an elected body to oppose the toll roads.  We must be strategic and make them count!

Before we make a demand of a County Commission/City Council/MPO/Chamber of Commerce to come out opposed to the toll roads, we must make sure we have a clear understanding of where each voting member of that decision making body stands. It is better to avoid “poking the bear” until (1) we know how they will respond, and (2) we have done the legwork to show the full strength and breadth of our opposition. Slow and steady wins the race; if we are strategic we become more likely to win when we strike.

Here are some things to consider when you are trying to get local government bodies to pass “No Build” resolutions:

1) Identify all of the champions (those who support our cause) on the particular board/council/etc.  Take the time to meet with them, explain your concerns, and get answers to their questions. 

2) Identify the champion who will introduce the resolution and get it on the agenda. Be sure to also identify another champion who will make a motion to second the motion to support the resolution that they bring forward.

3) Understand the landscape for how a governing body will likely vote and what would be needed to change the outcome of potential swing votes. If you don’t have the votes to get a “No Build” resolution or letter, then don’t push the issue until you can secure partnerships that would allow the vote to change in our favor. This will require more organizing locally within the districts of the decision-maker you wish to move, the constituencies that are most influential in their reelection bids, and whose support they depend upon.

4) Build support within the constituencies that will be the most influential messengers. Organizing sign-on letters are a great way to build formal support with various businesses and organizations that have clear and concise requests of decision-makers. 

5) If you are going to get a “No Build” resolution or letter on the agenda for an upcoming public hearing, make sure there is a large grassroots push. During the meeting, make sure that public opposition is visible with brightly colored “No Build” mini-posters and signs. Make a media push by writing a letter to the editor or guest editorial in the local paper before the public meeting when you expect the agenda item to be heard.

While we want to see as much local government opposition to these toll roads as possible, we don’t want to push a governing body to act before they are ready to vote for “No Build.”  It really is simply about getting our homework done before the test (vote).