ACTION ALERT: Urge the Governor to VETO SB 280!

Residents, the Town of Melbourne Beach has a vacation rental registration ordinance that will be impacted by the legislature’s recent passage of SB 280 that, among other things, will significantly limit local registration requirements for vacation rentals. Because SB 280 is not the solution to the issues our cities and neighborhoods are having with problem vacation rentals, it is critical that you contact the Governor and urge him to veto SB 280.

Based on intelligence received, our best opportunity for veto is to focus on personalizing the impact of SB 280 on your community. The focus can’t be on Home Rule; this is not going to sway the Governor to veto the bill. But, telling your story about how SB 280 will impact our town will.

Please incorporate examples, if possible, such as the below:

"The Town of Melbourne Beach requires that vacation rentals provide critical safety information on the dangers of rip currents and how to escape the currents. This is extremely important for the protection and safety of our visitors, especially in light of the fact Brevard County’s coastline can be challenging to inexperienced swimmers and those with medical conditions. In fact, Brevard County Fire Rescue reports 14 recent drownings as a result of rip currents. Melbourne Beach wants our visitors to have a safe and enjoyable stay in our community and return again each year. SB 280 prevents local governments from requiring such local safety regulations for vacation rentals."

Time is of the essence. We don’t know when the bill will be sent to the Governor for his signature.

Please do the following as soon as possible:

1. Send your veto letter to the following contacts:

Governor Ron DeSantis:
GovernorRon.DeSantis@eog.myflorida.com
850-717-9249

Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier:
james.uthmeier@eog.myflorida.com
850-488-5603

Legislative Director, Peter Cuderman:
peter.cuderman@eog.myflorida.com

2. Share this with other residents and urge them to send a veto letter to the Governor.

Thank you for taking time to send a veto letter and share this with others. The volume of emails and calls will be very important!