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."