The question before voters in Citrus County and throughout Florida on Nov. 2 will be whether to let voters decide land-use issues, or to let local governments continue make those decisions.
The forum at the Crystal River on Monday night, sponsored by the Women's Political Network of Citrus County, did little to settle the issue, although it did give proponents and opponents a chance to air their arguments before local voters.
The forum was populated by views from both sides of the proposed amendment.
On the one side were representatives of business, embodied by the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber of Commerce. Both groups have members that include builders and developers. The Florida AFL-CIO is also opposed to the amendment.
On the other side was the group that sponsored the amendment, and a former local government official.
In the middle were - and are - the voters, who could potentially hold the power to shortstop builders' and developers' political clout over local governments and approve or disapprove what local government does in terms of land-use regulation via referendum.
Currently in Citrus County, local residents do have a say in land-use matters before the county commission - 3 minutes if you're an individual and 5 minutes if you're a group. At the end of that time, the public's say ends with the sound of a county commission "egg timer." Then a rebuttal is allowed to those advancing their development, a rebuttal usually steered by a lawyer. The final say rests with county commissioners.
In the final analysis, the best either side of the amendment can hope for are favorable quotes in local newspapers, sound bites on TV stations and the belief in the persuasive power that media have in advancing one side or the other as both sides move their political show from county to county. One could well wonder if those media, who also generate advertising sales from those opposed to the amendment, will make the right call for Florida voters or come down on the side that speaks to their ties to the business community.
Both Amendment 4 sides also know that voters across the Florida political spectrum will have their collective say come Nov. 2. No doubt, local governments, builders, developers, real estate companies, the Florida AFL-CIO union and chambers of commerce will be miffed if the Amendment 4 vote goes against them. There is, after all, a lot of money and construction jobs riding on the outcome in this weakened economy.
By way of background, the Amendment 4 initiative is sponsored and funded by a Political Action Committee (PAC) called Florida Hometown Democracy, Inc. Florida Hometown Democracy is primarily funded by its author and president, Lesley Blackner, a Palm Beach attorney. "Mismanaged growth destroys communities," Blackner has said.
Supporters argue that Amendment 4 will simply add "another layer of protection against unwanted developments." According to the Hometown Democracy web site, "Rising taxes, falling home values, gridlocked roads, dwindling water supplies and Florida’s disappearing beauty are just some of the devastating consequences of Florida politicians’ habit of rubberstamping speculative plan changes. Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 changes all that by giving voters veto power over these changes to your community’s master plan for growth."
According to the web site Ballotpedia.org, "Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy is the main organization leading the effort in opposition to Amendment 4. Over 280 statewide business, labor, and environmental organizations, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida AFL-CIO - an environmental group, have expressed opposition to Amendment 4. These groups say that Amendment 4 will make Florida’s recession permanent by increasing taxes and contributing to unemployment. Mark Wilson, President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce told the Gainesville Sun on July 23, "If you like the recession, you’ll love Amendment 4.”
