Amendment 4 Would Give Conserved Land A Tax Break

(AP) Gulf County Commissioner Billy Traylor says he is supporting Amendment 4 on the Nov. 4 ballot because he prefers the tiny fishing villages and pine tree farms of his rural county to the widespread development of South Florida.

While he doesn't envision shopping malls, big hotels and chain restaurants anytime soon in his small Panhandle county, he worries about future development spoiling the region's natural beauty in decades to come.

"You have to be careful because you don't want to stop business growth too much, but overall I think it is a good thing," said the lifelong Gulf County resident.

The amendment, which has broad support from a coalition of environmental, business and government groups, gives land owners a tax incentive to place their land in conservation and declare it either permanently or temporarily off limits to developers. It has no organized opposition.

Amendment 4 would create conservation as a new land-use classification, giving conserved property a lowered tax assessment similar to that of agricultural land. Legislators would decide how long property must remain undeveloped to meet the criteria for the conservation classification. The amendment eliminates property taxes on lands placed in a perpetual conservation easement, which would prohibit future development on the land because the classification remains even if the land is sold. Like all proposed amendments, it requires 60 percent approval for passage.

"This allows someone to take the cows off their land and instead place it conservation use," said Preston Robertson, the amendment's creator and vice president of the nonprofit Florida Wildlife Federation.

Robertson said the amendment shouldn't cause a decline in property tax revenues because much of the land that would be placed in conservation is currently being used as agriculture.

"It's pretty much a wash as far as revenue," he said.

Brian Yablonski, vice president of public affairs for The St. Joe Co. and a member of the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, backed the amendment at the commission.

But officials from St. Joe, Florida's largest private land owner, did not return numerous calls from The Associated Press seeking information about the company's stance on the amendment. The one-time timber company owns large swaths of Panhandle lands including most of Gulf County, Traylor's home. It is slowly developing the land into high-end vacation homes and commercial projects.

Robertson called Yablonski's support of the amendment a "red herring" because other commissioners also supported the amendment even though St. Joe may receive "some tax benefit." And Robertson said most of the company's lands are currently taxed at a reduced rate under the agricultural classification.

Cragin Mosteller of the Florida Association of Counties said her organization is supporting the amendment despite the possibility of some lost property tax revenues because members believe it has a long-term benefit for the state.

"Everyone realizes the positive benefits conservation lands bring to a community. This is another tool in our tool boxes to encourage more conservation," she said.

The amendment also has the backing of the Audubon of Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, The Nature Conservancy and Florida Tax Watch, which supports the measure but warns it could be abused by landowners seeking tax breaks if legislators are not careful in drafting its supporting legislation.

Eric Draper, policy director for Audubon of Florida, said the environmental groups will push for strict guidelines including a 10-year minimum for land place under conservation and the imposition of back taxes on those who develop the land before the period ends.

"If the people vote for this, we have faith in the Legislature to act appropriately," said Janet Bowman, legislative policy director for the Nature Conservancy.