Florida voters overwhelmingly rejected Amendment 4, the so-called “Hometown Democracy” proposed constitutional amendment that fell well short of the 60 percent required for adoption.
The amendment would have required local votes before changes to local comprehensive growth plans. The “No on 4” campaign was led by a coalition of business organizations, including the Florida Home Builders Association and Florida Realtors.
Ryan Houck, who headed the “No on 4” initiative, said the victory came down to letting voters know about the unintended consequences of the amendment.
“Voters were not the least bit interested in passing an amendment that would hold an entire segment of Florida’s economy hostage,” said Houck.
“We don’t want to pour sand in our state’s business engine. We want to keep Florida growing with a strong, diversified economy, and rejecting Amendment 4 was a necessary step to get our economy back on track.” Leslie Blackner, the West Palm Beach attorney who led the effort to pass Amendment 4, said the vote marks the end of the Hometown Democracy movement and that it’s up to the state’s elected leaders and residents to find answers to sprawl and overbuilding in the state.