Sierra Club backs amendment to toughen zoning change decisions
 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – March 1, 2007 – Hometown Democracy – a nickname for a constitutional amendment proposal that would force all new subdivisions, shopping malls and other growth proposals to seek approval from voters rather than local leaders – received support yesterday from one of Florida’s largest environmental groups. The Sierra Club announced it would contribute $35,000 to the effort and enlist its 30,000 members in securing the signatures needed to get the proposal onto the Florida ballot.

In June 2006, the Florida Supreme Court approved the ballot language of the Hometown Democracy amendment. The court ruling is not an opinion on the merits of the amendment itself; instead, it signifies that the court believes the ballot question follows all rules for clarity and may move forward to appear on the ballot. Should voters pass the amendment, it will add an increased level of risk to some real estate deals, and could make Florida less desirable to new or expanding companies.

The next step: The group pushing the amendment needs to collect 611,009 signatures. So far, Hometown Democracy sponsors say they’ve collected 250,000 signatures with about 110,000 approved by county elections supervisors. The measure will probably appear on the 2008 ballot.

“It would mean no new jobs and no new roads in Florida,” says Adam Babington, coalition director with the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “It would turn every growth decision into a negative political campaign.”

On a positive note, a constitutional amendment approved by voters last year raises the bar on the passage of all future constitutional amendments, including Hometown Democracy. Now 60 percent of voters must favor a change rather than 50 percent. Still, a number of observers think that Hometown Democracy stands a fair chance of passage if it gets to the ballot box.

Source: The Orlando Sentinel, March 1, 2007, Kevin Spear

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