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Lawsuit signals newest dispute
By CHASE SQUIRES, Times Staff Writer DADE CITY -- In 1999, Dade City and Pasco County locked horns over providing fire protection to areas surrounding the city. Last year the two bickered over Tommytown sewer improvements. This year, they clashed over utility service districts. And last week, the county sued the city over annexations. Is the Pasco County government picking on Dade City? "I can assure you, that that is the furthest thing from the truth," County Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand said Friday, a day after the lawsuit was filed. "That is not a posture that the county takes toward any of our six cities." Dade City commissioners meet tonight for the first time since the county sued the city Thursday. The county is seeking to undo two recent annexations on the city's western edge along Happy Hill Road. The county claims the annexations are isolated, were done improperly and will add to urban sprawl. The annexations brought more than 160 acres into the city. Mayor Scott Black and Vice Mayor Bill Dennis say they will bring the lawsuit to the floor and want to take on the county in court. "This can have a chilling effect on our city and any other city wanting to extend its boundaries," Black said. "In a city like Dade City that's built out, annexations are the only way we have to grow." "Dade City's future depends on annexation," Dennis said. Both say they are baffled over the county's objections, and Black said he thought the city had gone out of its way earlier this month to solve the dispute over who should pay for Tommytown sewer expansions and who should provide outlying residents with water and sewer connections. "I thought we had really extended the olive branch," Black said. Both Hildebrand and Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher said they are only looking out for the best interest of residents when they disagree with others. None of the dispute with Dade City should be perceived as personal, they said. "From their perception, we're not treating them fairly," Gallagher said. "From my perception, we're treating them the way we're treating all the rest of the cities. . . . All I'm trying to do is protect the citizens living in the county." Gallagher said the annexations at issue in the lawsuit are in rural areas in what he called Pasco's prettiest areas, and he's determined not to let the area be overrun with housing developments or apartments. "That area's been kind of sacred," Gallagher said. One of the parcels touches the 900-home Lake Jovita community. Annexation without protection from overdevelopment isn't right for the area north of State Road 52, Gallagher said. The city instead should look to annex south, along U.S. 301. "Why don't they try closing the gap between Dade City and Zephyrhills?" Gallagher asked. "It's none of my business, but that's the area they're needing to go in." The peace reached earlier this month in the spat over providing Tommytown sewer improvements and ironing out which government should serve which areas with water and sewer service is still in the proposal stage. No agreement has been signed. Both the city and county commissions were expected to review the agreements this week. So will the lawsuit cause either side to pause, undoing a year of work? "I hope that's not the case," Gallagher said.
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From today's Pasco Times Letters Jan Glidewell |
