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Proposed Amendment Aims to Save Waterfront Access
10/15/08 - 09:09 AM
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Tuquyen Mach - bio

click for larger image Bay County, Fla:

The past few years have seen more and more developments pop up along Florida’s coastline.  Those new projects, including many high-rise condos, have raised property values along the shoreline.

Florida counties have benefitted from the hike in property values in the form of increased tax revenue. However, the adverse effect of the skyrocketing values is less access for the public, in the form of public marinas, commercial fishing operations, and other related businesses.

Voters will go to the polls on November 4, to vote on a proposed amendment to address that problem.  Amendment Six would change the way working waterfront property is assessed.

Supporters say the goal of Amendment Six is to protect working waterfront properties.  The amendment would assess values for working waterfront properties on their current use instead of the state-mandated “highest and best use”.

Jim Hamilton manages the Lighthouse and Pirates Cove Marinas. He says Florida can’t afford more losses in the marine industry.

“We’re on the waterfront, and that is a very valuable piece of property, so we could have a $25 million condo go up next to us. We don’t want to be assessed on their same value. As a working marina, that’s what we’re trying to do. Assess us as what we are not what my neighbor is.

Hamltion says it’s not just the 30 people who work at his marinas who are affected by this proposal.

“There’s vendors. There’s all kinds of people that depend on us too and their livelihoods depend on us,” he says.

Though passage of Amendment 6 would mean less tax revenue for local governments, the Florida Association of Counties supports the amendment.

If approved, the provisions would take effect in 2010.

To read the full text of Amendment Six, click here.

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