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Petition the Board: Open All 3 Seats for Election in November

The Board says only 1 seat is up for election on November 30. We're asking the membership to demand all 3 seats — including 2 new seats with staggered terms — be placed on the ballot.

✊ Sign the Petition Now

🚨 What We Need You To Do

Four things you can do right now to stand up for your community.

1

Join Our Zoom — Aug 4

Tuesday, August 4 at 6:30 PM ET — coordination call to plan our strategy for the August 6 meeting. Speaking assignments, proxy strategy, and what to expect.

📹 Register for Zoom →

Meeting ID: 840 0604 8035  |  Passcode: 248359

2

Attend the Aug 6 Meeting

Show up to the Special Members' Meeting on Wednesday, August 6 and make your voice heard on the record. Can't make it? Give a trusted neighbor your General Proxy so your vote and quorum still count.

📋 Submit Proxy →
3

Sign the Petition

Demand the Board expand back to 5 seats and place all 3 on the November 30 ballot. More signatures = more pressure. Takes 60 seconds.

✊ Sign Petition →
4

Tell Your Neighbors

Share this page with every West Port homeowner you know. Text it, email it, knock on doors. The more voices, the harder we are to ignore.

What This Petition Asks For

We, the undersigned members of West Port Community Association, formally petition the Board of Directors to add the following item to the agenda of the November 30, 2026 Annual Members' Meeting:

1

Expand the Board to 5 Seats

Vote to properly amend the bylaws to expand the Board from 3 to 5 directors — this time following the correct legal process, with a filed amendment and member vote.

2

Elect All 3 Open Seats

Place 3 seats on the November 30 ballot: Patrick Durkin's expired seat (currently held by Donna Paules) plus 2 new seats created by the expansion — for a total of 3 seats elected by homeowners.

3

Staggered Terms

The 2 new seats should have staggered terms (1-year and 2-year initial terms) so that not all seats expire at once — ensuring continuity and ongoing accountability.

Why This Matters

On July 27, 2026, Alliant Property Management sent every homeowner a "clarification" email about the August 6 Special Members' Meeting. In it, the Board claimed that the issues raised in our petition have been "addressed" and "will not be presented to the membership for a vote."

"Since the Board has already taken action regarding the previously appointed Board seats, the specific matters identified in the petition have been addressed and will not be presented to the membership for a vote at this Special Members' Meeting."
— Alliant Property Management, July 27, 2026

Ask yourself this: When the Board wanted to expand to 5 seats, they did it with a simple vote. They appointed the people they wanted — no homeowner input needed. Five seats were perfectly fine when they controlled who sat in them.

But the moment 97 homeowners signed a petition demanding the right to vote on their own representation, suddenly those 2 extra seats had to go. We pushed hard for a Special Members' Meeting to discuss fair elections, and the Board's response was essentially: "What seats?"

Of the current 3-person Board, only Manny was elected by homeowners. David was appointed to fill Ron Chandler's seat after his resignation — a legitimate vacancy fill. But Donna Paules was shuffled from an illegitimate expanded seat into a legitimate one — without any homeowner vote.

Here's what they don't want you to know: The Board can restore those 2 seats at any time with a simple vote — the same way they created them in the first place. There is no legal barrier. It's not complicated. They simply choose not to, because they know that if homeowners get to elect 3 seats in November, the community flips the Board majority. And that terrifies them.

1
Seat the Board wants
on the November ballot
3
Seats we're asking
homeowners to vote on
758
Homeowners who deserve
a say in who governs them

How We Got Here — A Timeline

January 2026
Board expands from 3 to 5 seats — appoints Brent DeVoe and Donna Paules. The amendment is never filed with Charlotte County, as required by FL §720.306(1)(e).
Jan — Jun 2026
Appointed directors vote on Board business for 6+ months in seats that legally never existed. Bylaws §12.3 says changes to Board size don't take effect until the next Annual Meeting.
May 2026
97 homeowners sign a petition (12.7% of 758 homes) calling for a Special Members' Meeting and fair elections for all Board seats.
June 29, 2026
Board rescinds the expansion. Patrick Durkin and Brent DeVoe resign. The 2 remaining directors immediately re-appoint Donna Paules into Patrick's original seat — without any member vote. Five seats were fine when the Board chose who sat in them. Once homeowners wanted to vote? "What seats?"
July 25, 2026
Special Members' Meeting announced for August 6. Board distributes a limited proxy form (quorum only, no voting rights) with Donna Paules as the default proxy holder.
July 27, 2026
Alliant email says petition matters are "addressed" and will NOT be presented for a vote. Board confirms only 1 seat for the November election.
Now
This petition. Homeowners are asking the Board to do the right thing: expand to 5 seats through the proper legal process, and let the community vote on all 3 open seats in November.

The Board Admitted the Process Was Wrong

In the July 27 Alliant email, the Board said the original expansion was done "based on guidance from previous legal counsel and management" — an admission that the process was flawed. But their solution was to eliminate the seats and call it a "reset button."

"The Board has pressed a 'reset button' on this issue. The intent is to remove uncertainty, address the concerns raised by members, and establish a clearer process moving forward."
— Alliant Property Management, July 27, 2026

A "reset" that only resets in one direction isn't a reset — it's a power grab. They kept the expansion when it let them hand-pick loyalists. They eliminated it only when homeowners demanded elections. That's not accountability. That's self-preservation.

The Board can reverse this decision at any point before November 30. All it takes is a simple board vote — the exact same mechanism they used to create the seats in January and eliminate them in June. There is no waiting period and no complex legal hurdle — just a board vote and a county filing, something the management company handles routinely. The only thing stopping them is the math: 3 elected seats means the community chooses who governs it, and the current majority loses control.

The Board also announced plans for a "comprehensive review of the Association's governing documents" and possible amendments. If 5 seats were good enough for the Board to appoint in January, they're good enough for homeowners to elect in November.

📅 Community Coordination Call — August 4

Join us on Tuesday, August 4 at 6:30 PM ET via Zoom to coordinate our strategy for the August 6 Special Members' Meeting. We'll discuss speaking assignments, proxy strategy, and what homeowners can do to make their voices heard.

Register for Zoom — Aug 4 at 6:30 PM ET

Meeting ID: 840 0604 8035  |  Passcode: 248359  |  Dial in: +1 305 224 1968

✊ Take Action Now

Sign the petition to demand 3 seats on the November ballot — and submit your General Proxy for the August 6 meeting.

Sign the Petition

Demand the Board expand to 5 seats and place 3 on the November 30 ballot.

Sign Petition →

Legally valid e-signature via secure platform

📋

Submit Your Proxy

Can't attend Aug 6? Assign a General Proxy so your vote and quorum count.

Submit Proxy →

Legally valid e-signature via secure platform

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this petition legally binding?
This petition is a formal expression of homeowner support for adding board expansion and election items to the November 30 Annual Meeting agenda. Under FL §720.306, 10% of members can call special meetings and propose agenda items. The petition demonstrates the community's demand for fair representation.
How is this different from the first petition?
The first petition (97 signatures) called for a Special Members' Meeting, which was granted for August 6. This new petition specifically asks the Board to place a vote to expand to 5 seats and elect 3 directors on the November 30 ballot — addressing the Board's decision to only offer 1 seat for election.
Why do we need 5 Board seats?
The Board itself recognized the need for more representation when they expanded to 5 seats in January 2026. We agree — more directors means better oversight and stronger governance. The problem wasn't the expansion; it was that the seats were filled by appointment instead of election. When we asked to vote, the Board eliminated the seats rather than let homeowners choose who fills them. They can add the seats back with a simple vote at any time. They just don't want to, because it changes who holds the majority.
What are "staggered terms"?
Staggered terms mean the 2 new seats would have initial terms of 1 year and 2 years (instead of all expiring at once). This ensures continuity — some experienced directors always remain while others are up for election, preventing the entire Board from turning over at once.
I already signed the first petition. Do I need to sign again?
Yes — this is a separate petition with a different ask. The first petition called for a Special Members' Meeting (granted for August 6). This petition asks the Board to add board expansion and a 3-seat election to the November 30 Annual Meeting agenda. Your signature on this petition shows continued support for fair elections.
What about the August 6 meeting?
Attend the August 6 Special Members' Meeting! It's your chance to make your voice heard on the record. But August 6 is a discussion meeting — no binding votes are scheduled. The real election is November 30. This petition ensures the right items are on that ballot. Join our Coordination Call on August 4 at 6:30 PM ET (register here) to prepare.
Is my information kept private?
Your name, email, and address will be included on the petition delivered to the Board, as required for a valid member petition. This information is used solely for petition verification purposes and will not be shared beyond what is necessary to present the petition to the Board.

📅 Don't Miss the August 6 Special Meeting

The Special Members' Meeting is your chance to put the Board on record. Attend in person, join by Zoom, or submit a General Proxy so your presence counts.

📋 Meeting Details → ✍️ Submit Proxy Online →