The measure, sponsored by openly gay Commissioner Dean Trantalis, is nonbinding, and asks Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature to make gay marriage in Florida legal.
As they had indicated before the vote, Mayor Jack Seiler and Vice Mayor Romney Rogers opposed the resolution.
But it passed in a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Trantalis, Bobby DuBose and Bruce Roberts supporting it.
The statement did not appear likely to pass just hours before last night's meeting, NBC Miami reports:
"I got calls today from California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Orlando, all wanting to know if our chamber was going to step up and step up to the plate," Chad Thilborger, the chair for the Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange said.
Supporters’ biggest fear if the resolution failed was the economic impact. According to the Convention & Visitors Bureau, there are currently 150 LGBT owned businesses in Broward County. Last year there were 1.2 million visitors who spent $1.4 billion dollars, most of that in Fort Lauderdale.
“My fear from an economic impact point of view would have been a Florida boycott with tourism as well as with businesses," Thilborger said. Of the more than 40 speakers, two were against the resolution primarily for religious reasons.
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