HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem J-1 Resolution: Tuition RatesCity of .~Vliami Gard~ens
1515-200 NW 167~h Street
Miami Gardens, Florida 33169
Mayor Shirley Gibson
Vice Mayor Oscar Braynon II
Councilman Melvin L. Bratton
Councilman Aaron Campbell
Councilwoman Sharon Pritchett
Councilwoman Barbara Watson
Councilman Andre Williams
MEMORANDUM
To: Honorable Members of the City Council
From: Shirley Gibson
Mayor
Date: January 10, 2007
Re: Resolution requesting applicable legislation to permit immigrant
Residents to attend Florida Junior Colleges and Universities at In-State
Tuition Rates.
Backqround:
This resolution requests the Legislature of the State of Florida to undertake such
inquiries and investigations deemed necessary to examine the advisability of making in-
state tuition rates available to immigrant residents to attend Florida Junior Colleges and
Universities, and if supportable, to enact such legislation, rules and regulations which
will provide such advantages to the immigrant population.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the proposed
resolution.
J-1) CONSENT AGENDA
RESOLUTION
FLA. JR. COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES IN-STATE
TUITION RATES
1 RESOLUTION NO. 07-
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3 A RESOLUTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
4 MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, REQUESTING APPROPRIATE
5 CHANGES TO STATE POLICY AND APPLICABLE LEGISLATION
6 WHICH WOULD PERMIT IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS TO ATTEND
7 FLORIDA JUNIOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AT IN-
8 STATE TUITION RATES; PROVIDING FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO
9 THE CITY CLERK; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF
10 REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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12 WHEREAS, the immigrant population of Florida provides a multitude of
13 necessary and valuable services, without appreciable negative impacts on employment
14 opportunities for Florida citizens, and
15 WHEREAS, the US constitution provides for the education on every resident in
16 the United States from K-12 grades. The city of Miami Gardens supports at the national
17 level comprehensive immigration reform that provide a pathway to citizenship and a
18 policy to provide residents serving in the armed services immediate citizenship, and
19 WHEREAS, undocumented immigrant population in our schools consists
20 primarily of industrious, ambitious and hard working young people who, in some, if not
21 most cases are here not by choice and some families have withstood great risks in
22 order to adopt American democratic principles, and
23 WHEREAS, the immigrant population and the children of such population seek to
24 improve their lots by advancing their education. It is self-evident that a better educated
25 population is a richer population in terms of the culture, the economic opportunities
26 available, the opportunity to maintain a self-sustaining life and the opportunity to return
27 something positive to the community, and
Proposed I nStateTu itio n-amended
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WHEREAS, in many cases, this immigrant population is underemployed and are
subjected to exploitation which interFeres with the realization of their justifiable ambitions
and the spirit of fairness of this great country and state, and
WHEREAS, tuition rates available to such population, in parity with other
residents in states such as Texas, California, Utah and New York would enable
students attending our high schools for more than 3 years to improve their lots by being
able to access in-state tuition and achieve educational enhancements in areas that we
have critical shortage of professionals thereby helping to reduce the recruitment of
those professional from outside the US by continuing our investment in the pool that we
have educated from K-12, and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS AS FOLLOWS:
13 Section 1. ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS: The foregoing recital
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paragraphs are hereby ratified and confirmed as being true, and the same are hereby
made a specific part of this Resolution.
Section 2. REQUESTS FOR INVESTIGATION AND LEGISLATION: The City
Council of the City of Miami Gardens, Miami-Dade County, Florida, joined by the
Honorable Mayor, hereby requests the Legislature of the State of Florida to undertake
such inquiries and investigations as shall be necessary to examine the advisability of
making in-state tuition rates available to immigrant residents to attend Florida Junior
Colleges and Universities and, if supportable, to enact such legislation, rules and
regulations which will provide such advantages to the immigrant population as are
contemplated herein.
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Section 3. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CITY CLERK: The City Clerk is hereby
authorized and directed to provide true copies of this Resolution to Senator Ken Pruitt,
President of the Florida Senate, to the Honorable Marco Rubio, Speaker of the Florida
House of Representatives, to the Honorable Governor Charlie Crist, to the Miami-Dade
League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities, National League of Cities, and their
constituency groups (NBC-LEO, HELO) and the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Resolution shall take effect immediately
upon its final passage.
9 PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
10 GARDENS AT ITS REGULAR MEETING HELD ON JANUARY 10, 2007.
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SHIRLEY GIBSON, MAYOR
ATTEST:
RONETTA TAYLOR, CMC, CITY CLERK
Prepared by SONJA KNIGHTON DICKENS, ESQ.
City Attorney
SPONSORED BY:
MOVED BY:
VOTE:
Mayor Shirley Gibson (Yes) (No)
Vice Mayor Oscar Braynon, II (Yes) (No)
Councilman Melvin L. Bratton (Yes) (No)
Councilman Aaron Campbell (Yes) (No)
Councilman Andre Williams (Yes) (No)
Councilwoman Sharon Pritchett (Yes) (No)
Councilwoman Barbara Watson (Yes) (No)
Proposed I nStateTu ition-amended