No third-time charm for charter.
For the second time this year, voters have rejected the St. Johns County Homerule Charter.
51.1 percent — 46,232 voters — said no Tuesday to the proposed charter. Only 44,159 voted yes.
The proposed charter movement began in early 2006.
Last year the charter initiative was forwarded to Tallahassee on hopes that the Legislature would put the issue on the ballot. Legislators sent it back to the commission, which then put it on the ballot for the August Primary Election, where it was defeated by a large margin — 15,314 to 9,034.
A third chance to charm the voters doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
"I don’t have any plans for it right now," said St. Johns County Commissioner Ron Sanchez, a charter supporter. "I don’t have a problem. We’ll continue to serve the people under the general law."
Bryan said the people spoke and they did not want a voice in the decision making process.
"There are so many other priorities that it is not on my radar right now," said Commissioner-elect Ken Bryan, a long time charter supporter.
Amendment Recap
Several proposed amendments to the Florida state constitution appeared on the ballot on election day. Some were easy to understand, some were more complicated. We deciphered them before the election. Now, check out which passed and which didn’t fare as well.
Amendment 1
Declaration of Rights- Failed
The amendment proposed:
deleting provisions which authorize the Legislature to regulate property owners by aliens ineligible for citizenship.
58 percent of voters against Amendment 1. 60 percent would have had to vote yes for it to pass.
Amendment 2
Florida Marriage Protection Amendment- Passed
This amendment will add a new section to Article I which states, "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
65 percent of voters voted in favor of Amendment 2.
Amendment 3
Hurricane and Energy Tax Break- Passed
This amendment authorizes the Legislature to prohibit the consideration of changes or improvements to residential real property when it comes to assessing the property’s value for ad valorem taxes.
62 percent of voters approved of Amendment 3.
Amendment 4
Conservation Land Tax Break-Passed
This amendment creates a property tax exemption for conservation easements. This is land that a property owner agrees to maintain in its current state and not develop.
68 percent voted yes on Amendment 4.
Amendment 6
Working Waterfront Tax Break-Passed
This amendment provides a tax break for marinas, boat yards, commercial fishing facilities and any other "working waterfront" business. Such property will now be assessed according to its current use rather than by its "highest and best" use.
71 percent of voters approved of Amendment 6.
Amendment 8
Sales Tax for Community College-Failed
This amendment would have allowed voters in a county to choose to impose a local option sales tax to supplement community college funding.
65 percent of voters did not support this initiative.
Winners and losers
District 7 - Representative in Congress
John Mica (R) 68,270
Faye Armitage (D) 30,266
State Senator District 1
Anthony Hill (D) 8,892
Louis Tart (CPF) 5,163
State Senator District 5
Stephen Wise (R) 18,470
George Lovenguth (D) 4,918
State Representative Dist. 18
"Doc" Renuart (R) 19,032
Dave Smith (D) 6,005
Daniel Walsh (NPA) 654
State Representative District 19
Mike Weinstein (R) 21,566
Larry Jones (D) 6,387
State Representative District 20
Bill Proctor (R) 27,969
Doug Courtney (D) 15,759
County Commissioner District 1
Cyndi Stevenson (R) 73,398
Merrill Paul Roland (NPA) 19,719
School Board Member Distrtict 5
Lionel Skeeter Key 7,664
Carla W. Wright 7,667
Airport Authority Group 4
Joseph J. Lopinto, Jr. 33,447
Jim Werter 36,171
Airport Authority Group 5
Herb L. Rippe 29,939
Carl Youman 38,992
Anastasia Mosquito Control Seat 1
Vivian Browning 40,243
Paul J. Linser 31,418
Anastasia Mosquito Control Seat 3
Janice Bequette 38,660
Gary H. Howell, Sr. 34,271
Anastasia Mosquito Control Seat 5
Tim Chiu 31,824
Ronnie R. Radford 40,907
