Hillsborough County Commission candidates slam St. Pete City Council for Amendment 4 “gamesmanship”

Last week the St. Petersburg City Council alienated a block of the community when they voted to amend their comprehensive land use plan in the event that Floridians approve Amendment 4 this November.  The Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment would require local governments to have voters have a say in any changes to such a comp plan.  But critics say they've planted a decoy map, instead, and some opposition has been fierce (they will have a second reading on the proposal in September).

Today at a forum at the Straz Center in Tampa with a slew of candidates running for Hillsborough County Commission seats this August and/or November, most said they were opposed to Amendment 4, but many also slammed the St. Pete City Council for their actions last week as well.

Former Tampa City Councilman and District One candidate John Dingfelder began the discussion by saying he acknowledged it sounded "a little snippy," but he didn't like what St. Pete did.  "Everyone should vote on it," he said. 

This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2010.