- WATCH VIDEO: Pictures from flooded areas of Hacienda Village spark outrage at Elliott and Benton’s refusal to help
- The City spent $3.5 million on pickleball after voting down a proposal to mitigate flooding in the Highlands and Hacienda
- Hacienda Village had contributed $325,000 on its own to protect itself from the City’s flooding issues
As pictures of flood prone areas in the Highlands and Hacienda Village emerge, residents are asking why in the Spring of 2023, Commissioners Benton and Elliott turned their backs on Hacienda Village and the Highlands. Despite repeated flooding and pleas for help from the residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the commissioners voted down a project to mitigate flooding, leaving the community once again exposed to the forces of Hurricane Milton.
In prior years, Hacienda Village took matters into its own hands, contributing $325,000 to protect itself from the city’s flooding issues. However, when it came time for the city to step up, Benton and Elliott voted against measures that would have made a difference.
A Broken Promise: The Flooding Mitigation Proposal
After the floods caused by Hurricane Ian, Commissioner Resnick put forth a proposal to address the chronic flooding in the Highlands and Hacienda Village. The plan was simple: secure easements along Gee Creek and begin the process of building flood barriers. Commissioners Resnick and Colangelo supported this common-sense solution, but it was rejected by a 3-2 vote, with Benton, Elliott, and Johnson casting the votes against it.
Follow the Money: Pickleball vs. Public Safety
If that wasn’t enough, Benton and Elliott voted in favor of spending a staggering $3.5 million on new pickleball courts, while the residents of Hacienda and the Highlands are left to deal with constant flooding. Even more shocking, millions of dollars were also spent fixing a pond in the affluent Tuscawilla Crossings. But when it came to protecting flood-prone communities? Benton and Elliott said “no.”
#StandWithHacienda
This November, let’s remember who stood with us in our time of need – and who turned away. Share this email, watch the video, and spread the word. It’s time for change.