On behalf of the EDC Board of Directors, I am urging you to vote “NO” on Amendment 4 on November 2, 2010. I have also included some important information that may help you make an informed decision on election day.
What is Amendment 4?
Amendment 4 is a proposed amendment of Florida’s constitution which would require taxpayer-funded referenda on all changes to local government comprehensive plans. In other words, this “Vote on Everything” amendment would force Floridians – not the representatives they elect – to decide hundreds of technical comprehensive plan changes each year.
Florida Tax Watch estimates that the direct cost to tax payers throughout Florida for special elections for land use changes would be $44.6 million to $83.4 million annually. And, litigation resulting from these elections could result in legal costs to local governments of more than $1 billion annually or $135 per every Florida household.
A comprehensive economic report on Amendment 4 indicates that this measure will mean fewer jobs and higher costs for all of Florida’s working families. “An estimated 267,247 high-wage jobs for Florida residents are at risk directly or indirectly from the potential adverse impacts associated with the passage of Amendment 4…” writes Professor Tony Villamil, Dean of the School of Business at St. Thomas University and lead economist for The Washington Economics Group (WEG), which conducted the study.
Amendment 4 will impact “the whole economy of Florida,” says WEG. The study goes on to indicate that, under Amendment 4, “Florida’s economic dynamism is lost. [Amendment 4] would permanently impact the economic growth potential for Florida, causing a steady decline in the standard of living of all Florida residents. Further, permanently impacting employment and growth within major industries and job-generating activities.
Ultimately, Amendment 4 would “force local and state governments to either raise taxes or cut services. Public schools, public safety and local health care services would suffer from both the direct impact of Amendment 4 (delay construction until the next election) and the indirect impact of fewer tax revenues from which to fund needed operations and capital investments.
The study goes on to conclude that “Amendment 4’s passage will have potentially devastating consequences to Florida’s economy at a time when the economic situation at both the state and national levels is uncertain and at a time when attracting new businesses to Florida is essential for the future recovery and prosperity of the state and its residents.”
