Voters will decide in November whether all changes to comprehensive growth plans for cities and counties should be put to a public vote. Amendment 4 would give everyday people vast new power over developers and property owners.
But how would you vote -- or would you bother? -- if your ballot included an item like this:
"An ordinance of the city of West Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida, adopting comprehensive plan amendment No. 2007-1; Amendment the future land-use map of the comprehensive plan of the city to provide for low density residential, single-family dwellings use for a certain parcel of land newly annexed into the city and lying to the southwest 1/4 of section 13, township 28 south, range 36 east, Brevard County, Florida, being a part of "Addition No. 3 to June Park" according to the plat thereof, as recorded in plat book 4, page 74, of the public records of Brevard County, Florida; located on the west side of Minton Road approximately 3,900 feet from the Minton road right of way, south interstate 95, and north of Hield Road."
"Yes/no"
That mind-numbing paragraph is real text from an ordinance for a real proposed change to one Space Coast city's comprehensive growth plan.
Now, multiply that item by 30 if you live in unincorporated Brevard County or 40 if you live in a city. That's the number of growth-plan amendments you would be asked to decide at your polling place or on your absentee ballot every other year, even during recessions.
"Our ballots would be pages and pages," Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott told me Friday.
You up for that?
Too much democracy?
Supporters of Amendment 4, also known as Hometown Democracy, say the measure will tame future sprawl and break Florida's cycle of boom and bust. The Yes On 4 website refers to Florida as the "Ponzi State."
Opponents -- including nearly every business, city hall and Chamber of Commerce -- say it will stymie Florida's recovery and economic growth. Nearly every development faces some sort of neighborhood political opposition.
Regardless of your take, we face a lot of voting and slow, expensive elections if Amendment 4 passes.
From 2006 through 2009, Brevard County commissioners approved an average of 16 growth-plan amendments each year, a review of county data show.
City councils on the Space Coast averaged fewer changes. For example, Melbourne and Titusville averaged seven comp-plan amendments a year. Rockledge averaged three annually.
Still, that's enough to make your ballot read like a mortgage-closing packet.
Multiply costs
No one wants another bubble. But let's be clear about what we're getting into as voters with Amendment 4.
Costs would vary with the number of amendments. But Scott said multiplying the number of pages of Brevard's optical-scan ballots also means multiplying:
Printing and postage costs
Time for counting ballots
Ballot-security gear, including special ballot bags
Auditing and canvassing work.
The alternative? Trust your elected officials to do the research and make hard decisions, then vote them out if they steer your city or county in the wrong direction.
That seems like an easier yes/no decision.
