Lauderhill Mayor Ken Thurston Joins Others Around State In Asking Governor To Veto Local Business Protection Act

LAUDERHILL (CBSMiami) – Be careful what you sign.

"Business is being put ahead of people," said City of Lauderhill Mayor Ken Thurston.

Thurston joins more than 20 mayors in Florida, asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto SB 620, better known as the Local Business Protection Act.

"I think it's an overreach, and the legislation is poorly crafted," added Thurston.

So, what is SB 620?

In short, it gives a business an easier path to suing the local government. A business needs to be at least three years old and prove a local ordinance costs them at least 15% of their profits.

"Residents, who are in the city, need to be protected. This takes away some of our ability to legislate," said Thurston.

"What we're seeing, once again, with this legislature, is an attempt to emasculate local government from doing the job we were elected to do," added City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.

Trantalis wholeheartedly objects to this bill.

"We are the people at the local charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and welfare of our community," added Trantalis. "I'm sorry. You cannot legislate from Tallahassee."

Business leaders CBS4 spoke with in Fort Lauderdale do not want to become an undue burden to a community.

Tim Petrillo owns and operates many restaurants in the city, including YOLO. He works closely with local government and already feels businesses have a strong voice.

"Has a listening ear to see if it works, and they will pivot if there's a strong reason they shouldn't go in that direction," said Petrillo.

"I defy anyone to say they cannot work with the city of Fort Lauderdale government that makes sense for them and the community overall," added Trantalis.

President of Barron Real Estate, Charlie Ladd, feels the same way, as he works to develop properties in the city.

"Time is valuable," said Ladd.  "Huge dollars are involved. The city is an integral part of the process, allowing construction to occur."

It comes down to this: More litigation against a city hurts the taxpayers. According to Florida TaxWatch, this potential law could cost local municipalities in the state $900 million annually.

"The only place to get that money is to increase taxes," said Thurston.

What happens next?

CBS4 did reach out to Gov. DeSantis' office on Tuesday to see if he's considering the request from local leaders to veto the Local Business Protection Act Bill. We have not heard back yet.