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City council remains neutral
By DAVE SHELTON
Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007 |
BELLEAIR BEACH – While the City Council refuses to take sides on whether to increase the homestead exemption, it aired a 20-minute presentation from the Florida League of Cities Dec. 20 that opposes the state-proposed measure that will be on the January ballot.
The proposed state constitutional amendment was proposed by the state Legislature to ease the state’s rising property taxes.
City Council members, during the Dec. 20 special meeting, agreed with Councilman Richard Crowl. He said he didn’t think the proposed property tax changes would have any effect on the city’s finances.
Crowl said he had strong feelings about the effect the changes would have on individual property owners, but that as a councilman, his responsibility was to the city, not individuals.
The council agreed after showing a presentation prepared by the organization that represents the state’s 412 municipalities. The presentation was professionally prepared and mailed to each of the organization’s members.
In addition to being projected on a movie screen during the council meeting, it was broadcast on the city’s cable TV channel.
Councilman Mitch Krach suggested that the council now owes equal time to those organizations favoring the proposed tax changes.
“I guess that would be the governor,” said Mayor Lynn Rives, who had ordered the presentation to be aired even though most council members said they had already seen it.
Rives said he felt it was the council’s responsibility to educate its residents on the issue and that the presentation was part of that education. He said the city will provide any similar presentation or printed material it receives from those who favor the proposal.
After watching the presentation, members of the council discussed some parts of the proposal and noted it fails to address about half of the rising taxes city residents are facing every year – unfunded state mandates and school taxes.
Rives said he is afraid that if the measure is defeated by voters, the legislature will present another referendum next November that may be “worse” than the one being presented to voters in January.
In other action during the meeting, the council voted to declare as surplus a list of items – mostly well-used chairs and tables – that aren’t worth saving for the new city hall to be built next year. The council agreed to make the items available for free to local nonprofit organizations provided they remove them from the building.
City Manager Nancy McCollum said the items include perhaps three dozen stacking chairs used now in the city council meeting room.
Rives also reported that less work may have to be done than originally thought on a former home on Cedar Drive that the city will use as a temporary city hall during construction. He said the most work will include a ramp for handicapped access to the building, widening of doorways and expansion of the bathroom.
The mayor said he has lined up volunteers to do the carpentry, but the ramp and plumbing changes would have to be contracted.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to show what Belleair Beach is made of,” said Councilwoman Mary Schoonover. “I love the can-do attitude of our staff and how everyone is working together on this project.”
“We can’t do anything without volunteers,” added Rives.
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Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007
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