Florida Hometown Democracy

Florida Hometown Democracy Pro-Con

Vote No on 4 gets a Village Square Rap on the Knuckles for their who's behind Amendment 4 page, where they try to slime the proponents of Hometown Democracy by implication, association and innuendo, rather than simply making their best factual argument. Read more HERE .

Amendment 4 covers only comprehensive plan changes. It does not cover re-zonings, variances, permits, or annexations.

Florida Department of State

Collins Center

The New York Times: Florida Voters Enter Battle over Growth

Howard Troxler : If you vote for Amendments 4, you'll turn purple and get fat (and other exaggerations)

Videos for:

Florida Hometown Part 1, 2 and 3

Six Fairy Tales About Growth in FL

Videos against:

Vote No on 4 videos

Articles:

Amendment 4 Leaves Development up to Florida Voters, by Paul Flemming HERE.

Be the first to write an op-ed on Hometown Democracy, pro or con. Simply add a page to this page, title it, write the title inside this box surrounded by brackets [ ]. The brackets will create a link to your op-ed. Sample: [My Brilliant Op-Ed] by Jane Smith

Village Square Amendment 4 forum footage...

Background

Florida enjoys a colorful history of great land grabs, swarming realtors, get-rich-quick real estate speculation and developers grabbing up every piece of scrubby land available. Where they ran out of land, they filled in bays and wetlands for ever more waterfront property, nary a growth management rule to be had. What followed through the ensuing decades kept faith with the original land rush - strip malls, condos, track homes and exploding population growth. In many ways this unique history still forms the backbone of our state upon which we've built our modern lives, albeit with greater control and planning than our forefathers.

In 1985, the Florida legislature passed the Florida Growth Management Act requiring all counties and municipalities to form comprehensive plans for growth.

For the people behind Hometown Democracy, a growth management amendment that will be on the ballot in 2010, it wasn't enough. They believe that elected local officials, often supported in their campaigns by developers, can no longer continue to be responsible for approving comprehensive plan changes and that it needs to be done by citizens at the ballot box.

Opponents fear an out-of-control process that grinds new development - and with it economic growth - to a halt.

Current status of amendment:

Complaints have been filed with the Florida Elections Commission regarding Amendment 4, however, it has survived other challenges over the past several years.

Ballot Language

BALLOT TITLE: Referenda Required For Adoption And Amendment of Local Government Comprehensive Land Use Plans.

BALLOT SUMMARY: Establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of the electors of the local government by referendum, following preparation by the local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice. Provides definitions.