Brooksville, FL (BREAKING NEWS) – The Southern Party of Florida today announced that some of its Executive Committee have decided to voluntarily step down and resign from the Party ahead of a SPFL Budget Cut that is currently under debate and scheduled to be put to a vote on July 27, 2008.
Since the reformation of the SPFL in mid April 2008 the Party has been hard pressed for capital resources to increase the size of the Party and tie up many administrative loose ends. The problem has been that the SPFL has been unable to raise funds via donations, sponsorships, and the collection of membership dues which currently does not exist. The Party founders have been united in opposition against imposing a mandatory membership due or fee and feel that having free membership is the best way to grow a strong grass roots Southron political resistance effort in Florida.
Since April 2008 the SPFL has grown in size rapidly, according to the Florida Division of Elections the Southern Party of Florida gained 314 registered voters (i.e. free members) in just over 4 months and could most likely be on the verge of 1,000 members by the time the 1 year anniversary of the Party rolls around next April.
The problem for the SPFL has not been gaining the support of registered voters, it has been getting those voters to donate money to the Party so that it can build up its strength enough to run candidates for local and state offices. Without donations, which is the life blood of a political party, the SPFL can not run for offices, create merchandise, put up advertisements, build a HQ, open a permanent website, let alone change the status quo.
To account for the budget short fall the Party has decided to cut some fat from its projected operating budget, in lamens terms it means that the Party will have to down size itself to account for the lack of income if it hopes to stay afloat and live to fight another day. Which is why some of the Party leaders have decided to voluntarily step down instead of being removed from office by a budget cut vote this Sunday.
As of 11:31am today the following officers are no longer part of the SPFL Executive Committee and are just registered as SPFL voters. They were released of their posts by Chairperson Floyd in accordance with the Charter and Bylaws of the SPFL:
- VC for Project Management- Mike White of Orlando, FL
- VC for Rules and Procedures – John Logan of Bradenton, FL
- VC for Development – Kenneth Mulder of Tampa, FL
- Treasurer – Kara Spiese of Brooksville, FL
- Secretary – Pam Jacobs of Clearwater, FL
Due to the downsizing of the SPFL the remaining authority of the SPFL Executive Committee and the title of Chairperson have both been dissolved effective as of 11:31am – July 23, 2008 and its authority has been both replaced and consolidated into a new system of governance, the Office of the Chancellor.
Shortly following the resignation the remaining members of the SPFL Executive Committee voted to authorize this major change of power which is expected to account for the budget short fall and allow the SPFL to operate in a more effective way so that it can over come the short fall and get on track to accomplish its 2012 election plans.
As of 11:43am – July 23, 2008 former Chairperson Kevin Floyd was appointed as the new and first ever Chancellor of the Southern Party of Florida per the emergency powers of Marshall Authority in accordance with the SPFL Charter and Bylaws. Soon after the appointment by the remaining SPFL Executive Committee the Chancellor was ceremonially sworn in and took his oath of office.
Chancellor Floyd’s first Executive Order #001 as the new unified leader of the SPFL and the Southern political resistance movement in Florida (better known in Dixie as just “The Cause”) was to disband the former Executive Committee… “Until such time that the SPFL is large enough and financially secure enough to support such a governing body”.
Chancellor Floyd’s second Executive Order #002 was the appointment of deputy and junior officers to the new Office of the Chancellor. As of 11:52am – July 23, 2008 the following SPFL Members and former Executive Committee officers have been appointed to the following new offices of authority over the SPFL:
- LT. Chancellor – Morgan Sweeny of Jacksonville, FL
- Sergant at Arms – Carl Toombs of Immokalee, FL
- Interim Treasurer – Shelby C. Floyd of Port Richey, FL
The newly reorganized SPFL will also make it a point to schedule meetings and votes via the internet to save on the amount of travel its leaders have to do to attend meetings and conduct day to day duties associated with running a 3rd Party. For example the Chancellor will be in charge of a wide range of new duties, which includes, and is not limited to the former duties of the Secretary which involves keeping detailed records of meetings and maintaining an archive of records.
Party leaders hope to meet their fund raising and donation goals by the end of 2009 which will enable them to really get the ball rolling and hopefully construct a State Headquarters in either downtown Brooksville or Cross City, FL prior to their 2012 election plans.
Over the next few weeks the new SPFL leadership will be hard at work on editing the existing Charter and Bylaws to reflect the new changes and will be very busy communicating the results of this shake up with Tallahassee.
