By Arielle Stevenson
Less than two months ago, President Obama granted funds for high speed rail from Tampa to Orlando. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio beamed from ear to ear at the victory. But today, Iorio and other members of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority or TBARTA discussed a possible infringement on those goals-Amendment Four.
Dubbed the Hometown Democracy Amendment, the legislation would require public approval regarding growth management projects locally. In deciding whether to pass a resolution regarding the amendment, strong opinions emerged from the board members.
“I will just say as one person, who is a strong proponent of smart growth and mass transit, I believe that amendment four will have a very negative affect on progressive growth management policies,” Iorio said. Those on the board expressed serious concerns about the amendment’s potential to slow down growth projects. Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard raised concerns regarding current voter drop off on existing ballot measures.
“It isn’t a matter of whether our citizens can understand them, it’s a matter of whether they want to take the time to understand them. And with everyone’s busy life styles, I doubt that that they will take the time and understandably so, that is why they elect us,” Hibbard said.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2010.