Amendments to appear on the ballot (houses, neighborhoods, construction)

[apanda]

Ok, so I got my sample ballot yesterday and I am a little confused about what Amendments 3, 4 and 6 really mean to us... Can you all help clarify?

3. Authorizes the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit consideration of changes or improvements to residential real property which increase resistance to wind damage and installation of renewable energy source devices as factors in assessing the property’s value for ad valorem taxation purposes. Effective upon adoption, repeals the existing renewable energy source device exemption no longer in effect.

4. Requires Legislature to provide a property tax exemption for real property encumbered by perpetual conservation easements or other perpetual conservation protections, defined by general law. Requires Legislature to provide for classification and assessment of land used for conservation purposes, and not perpetually encumbered, solely on the basis of character or use. Subjects assessment benefit to conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions established by general law. Applies to property taxes beginning in 2010.

6. Provides for assessment based upon use of land used predominantly for commercial fishing purposes; land used for vessel launches into waters that are navigable and accessible to the public; marinas and drystacks that are open to the public; and waterdependent marine manufacturing facilities, commercial fishing facilities, and marine vessel construction and repair facilities and their support activities, subject to conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions specified by general law.

[R1v3rRat]

Well, the only one I have any knowledge about is Amendment 6. And as an avid boater who supports greater public water access and someone with friends in the marine industry all over the state, I plan on voting YES to Amendment 6. I urge others to as well...

Here is a link to a page that summerizes each amendment and provides pros and cons....

Florida 2008 ballot measures - Ballotpedia

[KwaK]

thanks rr
they way some of them are worded you could vote no when you really meant yes

[apanda]

Originally Posted by R1v3rRat

Well, the only one I have any knowledge about is Amendment 6. And as an avid boater who supports greater public water access and someone with friends in the marine industry all over the state, I plan on voting YES to Amendment 6. I urge others to as well...

Here is a link to a page that summerizes each amendment and provides pros and cons....

Florida 2008 ballot measures - Ballotpedia

Thanks for the link, RR! I am reading it now.

[apanda]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

thanks rr
they way some of them are worded you could vote no when you really meant yes

That is part of the problem I have with them. RR's link was very helpful.

[KerryB]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

thanks rr
they way some of them are worded you could vote no when you really meant yes

A lot of times, they do that intentionally to confuse voters.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by apanda

That is part of the problem I have with them. RR's link was very helpful.

Originally Posted by KerryB

A lot of times, they do that intentionally to confuse voters.

They absolutely do mislead voters with their verbage...it should be criminal .

[JagFan27]

I plan on voting no. I don't think our constitution should be changed unless if is for a deplorable condition such as a violation of civil rights.
I feel that the legislators need to make laws for the situations that are listed in the amendments. Then if we disagree, we can vote the them out of office.

[riveree]

I'm with JagFan, I don't like this whole voting-on-amendments-thing .

Look at this little tidbit from the link R1v3rRat gave us:

Through 2006, there have been 23 initiatives on the ballot since the process began in 1978, in addition to legislatively-referred ballot measures.
Of those 23, 19 passed.

So those who push these amendments forward know we are likely to vote "yes".

Here's how I'm leaning, and where my questions still remain....

Amendment #1: YES, this one seems like a no-brainer, we're the only state left with this law on the books.

Amendment #2: NO...I think . I don't want to adversely affect gay and lesbian couples by limiting future rights. Does anyone have a clear answer on this one?

Amendment #3: YES, I see no real downside to this one. If we want homeowners who own older homes to make their houses more hurricane resistant, we shouldn't punish them for the upgrades by charging more taxes. As it is, homeowners who have older homes are unfairly reassessed whenever they upgrade their homes. Older homes need periodic upgrading just for maintenance, yet your home can be reassessed every time you pull a permit, it's unfair. If Florida wants to revive their downtowns, they need to encourage people to live in older neighborhoods close to the city core, not discourage them .

Amendment #4: YES...or maybe NO. It sounds wonderful at first - land that is conserved will not be taxed. The Sierra Club supports it, which is usually a good sign. Here's what I don't like - developers will get the same benefit. Meaning, a developer builds a new master-planned gated community. 75% of the land will have to conserved in order to get the tax break (doesn't mean they won't destroy it in the process of "saving" it though ). That conserved land does not have to be open to the public - and that's key, I think. It essentially remains private untaxed land. Hmmm....your thoughts on this one?

Amendment #6: NO..possibly YES. I can't help but think of the cruise ship terminal in Mayport when I read this one. There's also no guarantee that this amendment will "save" the small marinas and so forth. It does nothing for conservation, in fact, many of these waterfront businesses are polluters of the water. Yeah, I'm leaning NO.

Amendment #8: NO. Shifting the community college costs from the state onto the county? No thanks .

[R1v3rRat]

I voted today and I voted yes for #3 and #6.....