Taxes going up -- but maybe not that
much.
( Would a 100% per cent be --- "not that much" ? It's coming TRUE !)
By Sandra Pedicini
Sentinel Staff Writer
August 11, 2005
Winter Springs residents are in for a shock when they open their property-tax
notices later this month.
How does an 86 percent rate increase sound?
(
Sorry Sandra, but how about the big .1374 for "debt service"?
That's suppose to be built into the bonds. Did McLemore spend
that too ?)
That's what they'll find: a proposed general city tax-rate of $8 per $1,000 of
taxable value, compared with $4.30 now. That would mean an
additional $832.50 on a $250,000 house with a standard homestead exemption.
But don't panic, city officials say. They don't really plan to raise taxes --
that high.
Winter Springs Mayor John Bush, in fact, said the proposal was made
"tongue-in-cheekly." (If it isn't "cheekly" Mayor
--- then there's a lot of "jowls" flopping in the good ole' "political wind
" --
as usual ! "
Cheekly
" Bush got a 400% raise in his take home pay --- $23,000 + all he can grab for
expenses.)
But City Commissioner Robert Miller said he thinks it's time for Winter Springs
to talk more seriously about how it plans to pay for future expenses.
That includes not only government staples, such as more police officers, but
also a parking garage for the city's new town center, a community center and
splash pads for kids in city parks. (
Here come the excuses. The Police Chief has been asking for more men
for over seven years. As for the parking garage Miller --- the
City would have to build one if they allowed a 7 - 11 to be built in "Tiny Town"
aka Towncenter.)
Commissioners don't yet know how much those things will cost or what options
they have to finance them. So they voted 3-2 last month to set the
proposed tax rate sky-high and give themselves some wiggle room before they vote
on a final rate in September. Cities can go lower than a proposed
tax rate, but they cannot go higher.
( There was so much deceit, and belly flopping in
those votes --- you had the John Kerry "flip-flop" reversed vote
.............
I voted against it ----- before I voted for it
. McGinnis &
Gilmore voted against the 8 mil, then they put in more taxes with the .1374 debt
service increases, and McGinnis and Gilmore then --
VOTED FOR THE HIGHER TAX 8mil TAX INCREASES ! )
"It was
late and it was getting
out of hand, and we couldn't reach a consensus,"
Miller said. "We just said, 'All right, we'll just set it at 8 and
whatever we decide to discuss in the next two or three meetings, we won't have
to be restrained.'
I think we just picked it out of the blue."
( Just proves --- they didn't even know what they were
doing when they voted ! That would be a
PLUS ---
Commissioners to even consider they can
THINK. )
Seminole County Property Appraiser David Johnson said he has never seen a city
propose such a big increase in his 19 years with the office.
( He obliviously doesn't know how the City of Winter
Springs thinks --- whoops --- a mistake in the use of a word by saying
THINK
! )
"It's going to upset the residents quite a bit," he said.
( Hope it's enough to boot the
current commissioners out-of-office, and then the City can get rid of
"Concrete
Mac". )
Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan gasped when told of Winter
Springs' proposed figure. (
Hey Bill --- how about giving the citizens a break from their eight years of
"Tax Mac's" spending agendas, and
UNDER
apprise the citizens
properties? )
"To get that way far out, all that's going to do is cause telephone calls for
the property appraiser and the city," he said. "This is just going to cause a
lot of anxiety."
Paula Davoli, who lives in the Tuscawilla community, agreed. The notices, she
said, are "going to get a very strong reaction from people.
"I would hope there would be quite a lot of people questioning their
commissioners and appearing at the next City Commission meeting to force some of
these answers."
Miller said that's fine with him.
"We'll get people to come in and tell us how they feel," Miller said. "I'm not
asking for a riot, but most City Commission meetings are not very well attended
. . . It's difficult for us to get feedback on a lot of these things."
( No wonder they're not attended --- the issues have
already been settled behind close doors, and they made sure it was VERY late --
quote Commissioner Miller. )
So what might the final figure be?
"I don't think you'll see the commission do anything crazy," City Manager Ron
McLemore said. (
Wish people could
say that about your spending --- that takes money --- you NEED taxes to run your
agendas --- they're not only "crazy", but kept
WELL HIDDEN . )
Miller said he'd doesn't see an increase of more than $2 per $1,000 increase,
though that still would equal a $500 jump on a $250,000 house.
But "I'll be surprised if we raise taxes at all," said Mayor Bush, who has no
vote on the matter. "None of the city staff have asked for anything that would
justify a tax increase."
(Makes one wonder why
the Mayor says something like this when the City Manager is looking for
additional money to just to service "his bond debts".
That charge is usually built into the bond when financed. The
City Manager has just overspent, and can't pay for the financing.)
Sandra Pedicini can be reached at
spedicini@orlandosentinel.com
or 407-772-8033.
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