Collier voters to get referendum on roads, growth

Collier County commissioners are putting a referendum on the November ballot that asks voters if they want adequate road capacity to exist before development can begin.

By a 4-1 vote commissioners approved putting the referendum on the ballot today. Commissioner Tom Henning cast the lone dissenting vote.

Collier officials want this on the ballot as one of their ways of fighting back against Florida’s new growth-management law. The county worries this law will devastate their current growth-management system, which requires roads be built before development occurs.

The state’s Department of Community Affairs had told the county that its system, usually referred to as checkbook concurrency, can still exist because it was around before the growth-management law passed.

But under the new law, Collier will have to pass a proportionate fair share ordinance by the end of 2006, and county officials are dubious that concurrency can survive under that ordinance.

If the issue is approved by voters, it won’t have the force of law. But Collier officials want to be able to insist that they are following the will of the people when they push to keep their concurrency system intact.

The ballot language being recommended by county staff says: "State growth management law permits new development to proceed under certain circumstances even if adequate road capacity will not exist for 3 to 5 years. Should this law be changed to require adequate road capacity before new development can begin?"

The general election is Nov. 7.