For all FL voters

[camacho]

Hey folks, for all the hunters in this group as well as non-hunters, please vote for Amendment 4 which deals with conservation. In a nutshell "this amendment would do two things: It would create a complete property tax exemption for conservation easements — land that a property owner agrees to maintain in its current state and not develop; second, it allows the Legislature to create a new classification of “conservation” land that would qualify for a tax reduction much in the same way the state provides “greenbelt” tax breaks to agricultural landowners." It is supported by the FWC.

You can read up about it as well as the rest of the Amendments here:
http://floridatrend.com/article.asp?page=5&aID=49809

Thank you all!

 

[Crazy Fingers]

While I agree with the noble intent of this amendement, there are some slimy things which could happen with it. You and I both know that this state is run by developers. These guys could buy land with the intent to develop it eventually, temporarily put it into "conservation land" status so they pay no taxes, and then reclassify it as buildable land right before they develop it. I think this is a dangerously worded amendment.

 

[oneounceload]

or they could just leave zoned as "ag-exempt" and pay nothing anyway.

If there is something that makes that classification permanent, that would stifle the zoning change

 

[jjk308]

Because of the current agricultural zoning exemptions the only major effect would be to allow people who bought into old failed real estate developments - Florida is littered with them - to declare them conservation land without the expense of rezoning. Todays laws encourage either rapid development in good times or abandonment to squatters in bad, which happened to a large area near Ft. Myers.

Otherwise the tax relief isn't significant to anyone who doesn't own many thousands of acres like St. Jo, nor are the current tax receipts high enough to impact taxes statewide.

I voted yes.

BTW, my son pays $75 a year on 34 acres with an agricultural exemption. Supposedly a tree farm.