 |
St. Johns County
Chamber of Commerce
Opposes Amendment 4
|
The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has unanimously voted to pass a resolution to strongly oppose the proposed Constitutional Amendment 4, officially titled Referenda Required for Adoption and Amendment of Local Government Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
Click here to read the Chamber's resolution opposing Amendment 4.
Amendment 4 has been around for a while and is probably better known by its misnomer, Hometown Democracy. Its threat to Florida’s economy and quality of life is profound, but before we talk about its devastating consequences we want to make sure we provide you the basics.
If passed, the proposed initiative will require voter approval of all changes to local comprehensive land-use plans. Citing statute, the Florida Supreme Court points out that Amendment 4 would lead to referenda on: "a capital improvement element; a future land-use plan element; a traffic circulation element, a sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, and natural groundwater aquifer recharge element; a conservation element; a recreation and open space element; a housing element; a coastal management element; an intergovernmental coordination element; a transportation element; an airport master plan; a public buildings and related facilities element; a recommended community design element; a general area redevelopment element; a safety element; a historical and scenic preservation element; an economic element ..."
A review of state records shows that Florida would average over 10,000 local referenda annually. Under Amendment 4, it would not be unusual for local voters across Florida to be expected to vote on 200 to 300 comprehensive land use plan amendments per year. Currently, these decisions are scrutinized by appointed committees and/or professional staff and voted on by county and city commissioners.
Click here to watch an interview with Ryan Houck, Executive Director, Floridians for Smarter Growth.
The SJC Chamber is dedicated to the defeat of Amendment 4, and we aren’t alone. What sounds like a harmless change to our growth management process is expected to result in the loss of over 260,000 jobs and reduce Florida’s economic output by more than $34 billion per year. And with Amendment 4 scheduled to appear on the November ballot, debate surrounding this controversial “Vote on Everything” proposal seems to intensify daily. There are more than 280 labor, civic, business, planning and environmental groups opposing Amendment 4.
Click here to read what these 280+ organizations are saying about Amendment 4.
The coalition of opposition to Amendment 4 is virtually unprecedented in its diversity and scope because the threat of this proposal transcends traditional social and political boundaries. Under the leadership of Bill Lazar, Chairman of the St. Johns Builders Council, our Chamber has organized its own committee to educate our members and our community on Amendment 4 and its consequences.
Click here for more information on the St. Johns County Committee Against Amendment 4.
During the upcoming months leading to the election, we will arm you with the information you need to educate yourself and VOTE NO on Amendment 4. For more information on the statewide initiative please visit www.florida2010.org.
