Published: October 08, 2008 02:32 pm            

OUR VIEW - Oct 8

A good idea that could've been better

Amendment 4, the conservation measure on the Nov. 4 ballot, is a fine example of good intentions not quite gone wrong - but nearly so.

The amendment encourages conservation by eliminating property taxes on land the owner has agreed never to let be developed. That sounds fair enough. A developer willing to forgo a strip mall surely deserves something in return.

Problem is, the rest of us foot the bill. With the conserved land off the tax rolls, millage rates would have to be raised, ever so slightly, to generate the same revenue as before.

Is it worth it? We think so. Preserving land in its natural state benefits everybody. And, as a practical matter, the actual revenue lost probably won't amount to much.

Still, every penny counts nowadays, and unfunded mandates - even self-imposed ones, like Amendment 4 - are bleeding Florida's rural counties dry. We wish the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, the folks behind this proposal, had thought of a different way to reward landowners willing to pitch in and help preserve the environment.

On the whole, Amendment 4 is good for Suwannee County and good for Florida. As the economic picture becomes even more uncertain, however, let's take care not to nickel-and-dime ourselves to death.

        

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