Leading Question

The grassroots, nonpartisan effort is working to collect 611,000 signatures to force a vote on the 2008 ballot that could change how land-use decisions are made. Supporters propose a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to determine changes to local comprehensive land-use plans. By April, approximately 225,000 signatures had been collected, with a deadline of Feb. 1, 2008.

"It's basically saying the mayor [and] council can no longer be trusted," says Patrick Slevin, a Tallahassee public relations consultant. He will speak on the issue at Florida Gulf Coast University on June 20. "It's accusing them of being in the pockets of developers."

Lesley Blackner, co-founder of Florida Hometown Democracy, says decisions by city and county commissions often don't reflect the public interest. Giving residents local ownership of community development plans at the ballot box could create more accountability. "County and city commissions just never say no to these comp plan proposed changes," she says. "Now they just hand them out like candy."

Daniel DeLisi, a planning and engineering consultant for companies, governments and community organizations and former planning director for the Bonita Bay Group, calls the proposed amendment a "misguided effort" to empower citizens.

"The business community is terrified of it because you're asking the public to vote on very complex issues without the benefit of going through the process and understanding all the data that went into it," he says. "I don't think the general public, when they go into the voting booth and read a paragraph on what it's all about, is going to be inclined to vote yes."

Blackner calls that "a condescending view of the electorate," and notes that such issues as bond referendums frequently appear on ballots. "If a plan change is good for the community, the community will endorse it," she says.

"My fear I think is that people will see this as sort of a quick fix," says Debrah Forester, redevelopment manager for Charlotte County. Opponents' concerns include limited voter turnout and a longer process with higher costs.

Florida Hometown Democracy has garnered support and funding from groups including The Sierra Club. Fighting the effort are groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida chapter of the American Planning Association.

Slevin accuses Florida Hometown Democracy of trying to rewrite the rules to fit an agenda at the expense of the "silent majority" who believe they express their position by electing local officials.

"This is all about stopping growth in Florida, and trying to stop progress is trying to capture lightning in a bottle; there are going to be casualties," he says.

If Hometown Democracy succeeds, however, Blackner says growth would still continue.

"I know [opponents are] hysterical, but it's not going to shut down development," she says. "It's just a very sincere effort to try to bring some accountability to the process."