Florida’s real estate and business interests scored a huge victory in November, 2010 with the defeat of Amendment 4. If passed, Amendment 4 would have required the state’s voters to approve all local comprehensive land use plan changes, rather than having those changes approved or rejected by city or county commissions. The amendment needed 60 percent of the vote; however, 67 percent of voters rejected the measure. If voters had approved the measure, its implications were expected to set a national precedent for other states to adopt such legislation or consider such ballot initiatives.
BOMA International and BOMA Florida leveraged Industry Defense Funds to join other real estate organizations in Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, a coalition of more than 200 organizations that oppose the initiative, to protect commercial real estate’s interests. Other members of the coalition included NAIOP - the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, the American Resort Development Association, NAIOP of Florida, the Florida Apartment Association and other business groups.
Spearheading the campaign to get Amendment 4 approved was a group of environmental lawyers who founded Florida Hometown Democracy, a special interest group. More than half of its funding came from Floridians for a Sustainable Populations, a population control group. Had the amendment passed, it is estimated that the average voter would be expected to decide about 200 to 300 intricate land-use planning amendments each year. Local governments would be forced to use taxpayer dollars to fund additional elections or would have to wait until the next election to list out all of the changes proposed to a comprehensive land use plan.
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