Hollywood city attorney insists proper protocol was followed during street name vote

Commissioner Peter Hernandez walks off, says residents should have been voting

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Wednesday night's Hollywood city commission meeting was both emotional and contentious as five out of seven commissioners voted to change the names of three streets that are named after Confederate generals.

The issue has been an ongoing debate but, it all came to a head when Commissioner Peter Hernandez called the commission on the carpet.

The city attorney insisted protocol was followed but, in the end, Hernandez stormed off the dais.

He said the commission voted to waive the rights of residents who live on the streets to vote on the measure.

"They feel betrayed by the commission, because they were not allowed to participate the way they should have been," Hernandez said.

The mayor stands behind the decision for the commission to decide on the future of the street names.

"In this case, we felt the overriding community interest was to exercise that name change by and through the vote of the elected officials representing the full complement of Hollywood residents," Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said.

Vice Mayor Tracy Callari was the lone dissenting vote.

"In the process, it goes out to those individuals who live on those streets, allowing them to have a say, and that was eliminated. And I feel that is just not fair," she said.