BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Clay County Commissioners passed a resolution placing a referendum on the November 5 ballot that will ask voters whether or not to earmark 0.2 mills in the county’s tax revenue for land acquisition.
According to the resolution, the 0.2 mills would be used to repay $45 million in bonds over 20 years. The county would issue the bonds to finance land acquisitions for conservation within Clay County.
The ballot measure reads as follows:
“CLAY COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION REFERENDUM TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY, WILDLIFE HABITAT, FORESTS AND FARMS
To acquire and manage lands that protect water quality in rivers, lakes, creeks, and drinking water sources; conserve wildlife habitat, natural areas, and working forests and farms; reduce flooding; and provide outdoor recreation, shall Clay County issue general obligation bonds up to $45 million, maturing within 20 years, bearing interest not exceeding legal maximum rates, payable from ad valorem tax up to 0.2 mills, with annual audits, citizen oversight, and full public disclosure of spending?
___YES
___NO”
According to a feasibility study by the Trust for Public Land, the measure would cost each Clay County homeowner $33 per year over 20 years.
That same report said that from 1996 to 2023, 101 referendums were offered to Florida taxpayers to finance land conservation. Eighty-five of those measures passed, while 18 failed.
The report states that “Since 1988, 26 counties in Florida have received voter approval to dedicate funding for land conservation. Many counties, including Polk, Seminole, and Volusia counties, have received approval for multiple ballot measures to renew funding for their land conservation programs. Most recently, in 2022, voters in Alachua, Brevard, Indian River, Nassau, Pasco, and Polk counties approved dedicated funding for land conservation.”
Before the unanimous vote to put the measure on the November 5 ballot, Commissioner Betsy Condon insisted that the vote was not for a tax increase.
“I saw some discussion today on social media that we, the board of county commissioners, are asking for a tax increase,” she told her colleagues. “That’s not what this is. We’re asking them, the voters, about conservation. So, if you don’t want to pay (0.2) mills towards conservation, you’ll vote no in November. If you want to put 0.2 mills towards conservation, you’ll vote yes in November. And that’s all we’re asking the public.”
