By Ebony Windom, Times Correspondent
ZEPHYRHILLS — The City Council has given Florida Hometown Democracy a big thumbs-down.
The council passed a resolution Monday opposing Amendment 4, a measure on the November ballot that would require voter approval of changes to the local land use plan.
"The term Hometown Democracy sounds exciting, sounds like a good thing," said Todd Vande Berg, the city's director of development. But he said the amendment is a complicated and expensive proposition that could require the city to hold elections on every important decision.
Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie volunteered to speak to local civic groups about the amendment's potential impact.
"We're just trying to educate people versus telling them how to vote," Vande Berg said.
Zephyrhills joins the ranks of Dade City, Safety Harbor, Dunedin and other government bodies around Tampa Bay that have formally opposed the measure.
"This is something that is going under the radar right now," Zephyrhills council president Lance Smith said. "It sounds good, but it really, really will be bad for the state of Florida."
Smith said he's heard about the challenges of Hometown Democracy from officials in St. Pete Beach and from other Florida towns that already have a similar system in place.
"We do know by some evidence that the city of St. Pete has experimented with this and there have been some issues. Some communities have tried it," Vande Berg said.
In other city business, the city awarded a $147,000 bid to Asphalt Engineering to make improvements to a stormwater pond.
Council members also voted unanimously to extend an annual contract with the District School Board of Pasco County allowing three Zephyrhills police officers to continue their school resource officer duties at R.B. Stewart Middle, West Zephyrhills Elementary, Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary Schools. Two schools will share a full-time officer.
