Guest
10-15-2008, 10:43 PM
Count 'em, folks. Those of us who live in Sumter County will be voting on seven amendments to the state constitution in the upcoming general election. Some of the ballot proposals are not as clear as one would like. A NO vote sometimes will mean YES and vice versa. Constitutional amendments are very hard to escape once they've been passed.
We'd better begin spending more time worrying about the close-to-home issues and less time whaling away reacting to the back-and-forth negative campaigning by the presidential candidates. A sample ballot was in today's Daily Sun if you want to refresh yourself with the amendments we'll be voting on.
There are actually three different ballots within Sumter County alone. If you know your precinct, go to the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website to refresh yourself with the ballot you'll be using when you vote...
http://www.sumterelections.org/ew_pages/SOEContent/GE08_sampleballots.htm
The proposed amendments to be considered on my ballot include:
• A question on whether illegal aliens should be able to own property.
• The question of whether marraige should be between only a man and a woman.
• Whether the legislature should be able to prohibit improvements to your home for hurricane protection or renewable energy from being included in the calculation of home value for real estate tax purposes.
• A proposal to require the state legislature to permit property tax exemptions for real property used for perpetual conservation purposes as well as that properrty so classified by the legislature.
• A change to permit the state to determine and assess property used for working waterfront purposes.
• A proposal that permits the state legislature to require counties to hold elections to authorize a special community college tax, such tax to sunset in five years and not be renewable, even by vote of residents.
• In the precincts that comprise CDD 7, you will be asked whether you want the CDD to incorporate itself as a municipality. Be careful what you ask for on this one. One district of the eight or nine residential districts that comprise The Villages trying to stand alone as a municipality could be very unworkable.
In addition, of course, Sumter County residents will be voting on whether to continue "One Sumter" wherein all county residents elect all five county commissioners rather than having five districts, each electing one commissioner.
Be very careful to familiarize yourself with the ballot proposals. They are NOT worded clearly and it will be easy to misunderstand the proposal and have your vote mean the opposite of your intentions.
We'd better begin spending more time worrying about the close-to-home issues and less time whaling away reacting to the back-and-forth negative campaigning by the presidential candidates. A sample ballot was in today's Daily Sun if you want to refresh yourself with the amendments we'll be voting on.
There are actually three different ballots within Sumter County alone. If you know your precinct, go to the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website to refresh yourself with the ballot you'll be using when you vote...
http://www.sumterelections.org/ew_pages/SOEContent/GE08_sampleballots.htm
The proposed amendments to be considered on my ballot include:
• A question on whether illegal aliens should be able to own property.
• The question of whether marraige should be between only a man and a woman.
• Whether the legislature should be able to prohibit improvements to your home for hurricane protection or renewable energy from being included in the calculation of home value for real estate tax purposes.
• A proposal to require the state legislature to permit property tax exemptions for real property used for perpetual conservation purposes as well as that properrty so classified by the legislature.
• A change to permit the state to determine and assess property used for working waterfront purposes.
• A proposal that permits the state legislature to require counties to hold elections to authorize a special community college tax, such tax to sunset in five years and not be renewable, even by vote of residents.
• In the precincts that comprise CDD 7, you will be asked whether you want the CDD to incorporate itself as a municipality. Be careful what you ask for on this one. One district of the eight or nine residential districts that comprise The Villages trying to stand alone as a municipality could be very unworkable.
In addition, of course, Sumter County residents will be voting on whether to continue "One Sumter" wherein all county residents elect all five county commissioners rather than having five districts, each electing one commissioner.
Be very careful to familiarize yourself with the ballot proposals. They are NOT worded clearly and it will be easy to misunderstand the proposal and have your vote mean the opposite of your intentions.