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Redington Beach officials don’t expect to raise taxes
By BOB MACPHERSON
Article published on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 |
REDINGTON BEACH – Town Finance Commissioner Mark Deighton wants to keep the town’s property tax millage rate at the same level as the current budget, despite a suggestion by Pinellas County Tax Assessor’s Office that it be raised.
The town recently received the tax assessor’s recommendation of 2.23 mills.
“We said we will not do it,” Deighton said. “We set the rate the same as last year – 1.941. We can do a lot of things with the millage rate set at 1.941. The amount of money that we will have in the bank after completing our capital projects is equivalent to two years of operations at our current rate of slightly under $1 million.”
“Fiscally the town is operating conservatively,” Mayor Nick Simons added.
There will be a series of budget hearings for the next fiscal year before the final rate is set.
The tentative millage rate can go down but not up, according to Deighton.
By state law all municipalities are required to establish an annual millage rate. The millage rate is applied to each $1,000 of a home’s assessed value to calculate the property tax owed.
Town declines Meltons’ offer
City officials say that for seven years Laura and Julianne Melton have ignored the town’s orders to repair their seawall and clean up their property.
The city says the Meltons’ seawall needs repair and the height of their uncut grass is unsightly. The Meltons claim no wrong doing and are currently engaged in a legal battle with two neighbors who they accuse of causing their problems.
According to city officials, the Meltons’ property at 15930 Redington Drive has been a sore spot for years, ultimately leading to legal action by the town.
The town attempted to get the Meltons to comply with the law in 2000 with a special master hearing. In 2005 another hearing took place. The Meltons allegedly ignored the results of both hearings which required them to comply with the town’s code of ordinances. The town fined the Meltons $150 a day and only recently filed suit to collect that money.
The Meltons recently made an offer to the town to decrease the town’s accumulated fine from $60,000 to $10,000 before doing any work on their seawall.
The commission unanimously declined the Meltons’ offer and directed Town Attorney Fabian Lukenauth to advise the Meltons the town will reconsider the fine only after the Meltons repair their seawall.
On March 28, the Meltons filed a suit against neighbors Mark Deighton, his wife Eike and Ron Diaz, whose homes flank the Melton property, accusing them of causing the shoreline erosion which led to the erosion of the Melton seawall. The Deightons and Diaz have duly approved seawalls as required by law for water front properties. The Melton lot does not have an approved seawall.
The Commission on April 15 determined that legal defense of the Deightons and Diaz was in the public interest and decided to defend them in court. That court proceeding is ongoing.
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Article published on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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