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Florida Hometown Democracy
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| Florida Hometown Democracy PAC | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | New Smyrna Beach, Fla. |
| Type: | Political action committee |
| Top official: | Lesley G. Blackner, Chair |
| Year founded: | 2003 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Florida Hometown Democracy PAC (FHD PAC) was a political action committee based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The PAC was the main entity supporting the Florida Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Amendment 4 (2010) campaign. The group previously attempted to qualify the measure for the statewide ballot in 2003 and 2008.[1]
The FHD PAC disbanded on December 31, 2011.[2]
Mission
According to the organization's archived website, the Florida Hometown Democracy PAC had the following mission statement:
| “ | Hometown Democracy will not halt growth in Florida. What it will do is curb reckless real-estate speculation that leaves taxpayers footing the bill. It will give voters a chance to approve or veto changes to the overall growth plan, ensuring that development is affordable to the community and doesn’t hurt existing taxpayers.[3][4] | ” |
History
The Florida Hometown Democracy PAC (FHD PAC) was established in June 2003 as a political action committee in support of the Hometown Democracy Amendment, a constitutional amendment requiring voter approval of new or amended comprehensive land use plans by local governments. The PAC was primarily funded by its president, Lesley Blackner, an attorney in Palm Beach, Florida.[5]
Political activity
The Florida Hometown Democracy PAC (FHD PAC) proposed the original Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment in 2003 and gathered 50,000 signatures to place the amendment on the ballot. On March 17, 2005, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the first sentence in the ballot summary of the amendment was more akin to "editorial comment," than an "accurate and informative" synopsis of the amendment as required by law, and struck it down. The contested ballot summary stated: "Public participation in local government comprehensive land use planning benefits Florida's natural resources, scenic beauty and citizens."[6]
In June 2006, the Florida Supreme Court approved a new voter petition for the Hometown Democracy Amendment. The revised amendment included the following ballot summary: "Establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of the electors of the local government by referendum, following preparation by the local planning agency, consideration by the government body and notice."[7]
The FHD PAC attempted to qualify the Hometown Democracy Amendment on the 2008 ballot as the Florida Referendum for Land Use (2008), but failed to acquire enough signatures. In 2010, the amendment appeared on the ballot as the Florida Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Amendment 4 (2010), but was defeated.[8][9]
The FHD PAC disbanded on December 31, 2011.[2]
2010 initiative effort
Supporters of the amendment argued that the change would simply add "another layer of protection against unwanted developments." The Florida Hometown Democracy PAC website stated, "Rising taxes, falling home values, gridlocked roads, dwindling water supplies and Florida’s disappearing beauty are just some of the devastating consequences of Florida politicians’ habit of rubberstamping speculative plan changes. Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 changes all that by giving voters veto power over these changes to your community’s master plan for growth." The initiative was defeated.[9][10]
Sponsors
According to the Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, the following organizations supported the proposed land use amendment:[11]
- A-E Enterprises, Inc.
- Alliance To Protect Water Resources, Inc.
- Ancient Island Sierra Group
- Audubon of Martin County
- Audubon Society of the Everglades
- Big Bend Biofuels
- Brian F. Call Photography
- Broadway to Silver Beach Neighborhood Association, Inc.
- Broward Barrier Island Coalition
- Better Government Association of Sarasota County, Inc.
- CanDo (Citizens & Neighbors Devoted to Ormond)
- Citizens Come First
- Citizens Council For Creeks and Wetlands
- Citizens For Charter
- Citizens For Sanity.Com, Inc.
- Citizens For Sensible Growth In Sarasota County, Inc.
- Clay Action Network
- Clean Water Action
- Clean Water Network of Florida
- Clearwater Audubon Society
- Coalition of Concerned Citizens
- Concerned Citizens of Coconut Creek, LLC
- Concerned Citizens of Flagler Beach
- Concerned Citizens of Wakulla
- Concerned Friends of Fernandina
- Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie County
- Control Growth Now
- Corridor 44 Civic Association
- Council of Neighborhood Associations of Sarasota County, CONA
- Duval Audubon Society
- Eagle Crest Civic Association
- East Polk Government Watch Committee, Inc.
- Eastern Surfing Association - Palm Beach County District
- Eco-Action, Inc.
- Edgewater Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development , Inc -ECARD
- Environmental Alliance Of North Florida, Inc.
- Environment Florida
- Environmental & Land Use Law Center, Inc.
- Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida, Inc (ECOSWF)
- Environmental Council of Volusia - Flagler Counties
- EverGreen, the Tree Treasurers of Charlotte County
- Floridians for Environmental Accountability and Reform, Inc.
- Flagler Beach Environmental Preservation Council, Inc
- Florida Bi-Partisan Civic Affairs Group
- Florida Consumer Action Network
- Florida Native Plant Society, Pinellas Chapter
- Florida Open Beaches Foundation,Inc.
- Florida Panther Society
- FL PIRG - Florida Public Interest Research Group
- Florida Wildlife Federation
- Floridians for a Sustainable Population
- Four Lakes Homeowners Association
- Friends of the Anclote River /Concerned Citizens of Tarpon Springs
- Friends Of The Everglades, Inc.
- Geneva Citizens Association, Inc.
- Glen Springs Preservation Association, Inc.
- The Golden Gate Estates Area Civic Association, Inc.
- Guardians of Martin County, Inc.
2008 initiative effort
- See also: Florida Referendum for Land Use (2008)
- See also: Florida Hometown Democracy v. Browning
The Florida Hometown Democracy PAC (FHD PAC) failed to acquire enough signatures to qualify the Florida Referendum for Land Use (2008) amendment for the ballot. The signature shortage resulted from a glitch in the state of Florida's electronic signature tally and irregularities in the petition-checking process.[8]
FHD PAC filed Florida Hometown Democracy v. Browning on June 11, 2008. The lawsuit aimed to support the Florida Referendum for Land Use (2008) amendment by challenging the petition-checking irregularities that stemmed from the state's out-of-date voter database and variations in county standards for determining a signature's validity. The lawsuit attacked petition signature revocation, the practice of allowing voters to remove their signatures after a petition has been filed, and the disqualification of inactive voters from signing initiative petitions.[12]
Leon County Circuit Judge Charles A. Francis rejected FHD PAC's challenge to petition signature revocation. The case was ultimately appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, which declared that certain irregularities of the petition-check process and the signature revocation process were unconstitutional.[13][14]
Leadership
The following individuals held leadership positions with the Florida Hometown Democracy PAC:[1]
- Lesley G. Blackner, Chair
- Barbara J. Herrin, Treasurer
See also
- Florida Referendum for Land Use (2008)
- Florida Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Amendment 4 (2010)
- List of Florida ballot measures
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Florida Department of State-Division of Elections, "Committee Tracking System-Florida Hometown Democracy, Inc., PAC ," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Florida Department of State-Division of Elections, "Campaign Documents Search-Florida Hometown Democracy, Inc., PAC," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, "What is Hometown Democracy?" accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ St. Petersburg Times, "Lesley Blackner Staying Put," February 25, 2008
- ↑ Florida Trend, "Who's Lesley Blackner?" March 1, 2007
- ↑ Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, "On the Ballot," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Capitol News Service, "Hometown Democracy Initiative Still 110,000 Signatures Shy," Jan. 14, 2008
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Triple Pundit, "Florida Voters Reject Land Use Planning Amendment," November 19, 2010
- ↑ Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, "Main Page," accessed March 11, 2010
- ↑ Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, "Supporters," accessed August 25, 2010
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "Florida initiative backers sue Florida in federal court," June 13, 2008
- ↑ Judge upholds signature revocation law, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Nov. 28, 2007
- ↑ Case Law, "Florida Hometown Democracy v. Browning," accessed September 6, 2014
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