Amendment 3 could defund mosquito control throughout Florida, causing spikes in diseases carried by the insects, opponents to the initiative say.
Mosquitos are the unqualified Grim Reaper of the planet earth, accounting for up to one million deaths annually worldwide. The pesky insects are kept in check in swampy Florida through efforts of local governments.
Opponents of Amendment 3, the property tax reform initiative, say it would strip millions of dollars in funding from special districts and counties that keep mosquitos from swarming back yards, golf courses and parks in Florida. Epidemiologists say cutting back on control could open the door to the diseases they carry: dengue fever, West Nile virus and Chikungunya.
Would Amendment 3 passage mean slower response to mosquito outbreaks?
The districts get their money through ad valorem taxes and scales directly with what local governments bring in through assessments. Mosquito control is also done through county environment districts, as well.
Amendment 3 would increase the homestead tax for primary residences to $250,000 in two years. The Republican-led Florida Legislature put the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot after being called back into session in June by Gov. Ron DeSantis — though he wanted to eliminate non-school property taxes altogether.
Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo warned Amendment 3 would mean fewer staff, less spraying and slower responses to mosquito threats.
“If we have to start making layoffs, stop buying less chemicals — this is not a pie in the sky statement — things are going to change dramatically,” he said.
In Palm Beach County, the Department of Environmental Resources Management contains a division whose sole mission is to tame the blood-sucking insects.
“If we take the foot off the gas, the mosquito population explodes and then we have to play catch up. We have to find the money to play catch up,” he said.
Hurricanes and tropical storm winds usually wipe out adult mosquitos, but then the insects flourish in standing water left after the storm.
And it is more than just spraying lakes and ponds. Mosquito control involves laboratory research to track populations and ensure treatments remain effective, Abruzzo added.
Read the full news article on The Daytona Beach News-Journal