Council chews on city budget, rethinks cuts

ST. PETERSBURG -- The St. Petersburg City Council deliberated on the 2003 city budget late into the night Thursday and appeared poised to restore proposed cuts to the Boyd Hill Nature Park, and to reject a plan for new downtown parking meters.

At press time, the council had not formally voted on the budget.

The $112,000 for park rangers that Mayor Rick Baker had proposed to cut from Boyd Hill's budget, and the $800,000 in revenue he expected to collect with new downtown parking meters, were relatively small amounts of money in the city's $488-million operating budget.

But they were the most controversial. Dozens of people spoke out at Thursday night's hearing and at another Aug. 22.

Just before Thursday's hearing began, 30 people picketed in front of City Hall, chanting, "Save our rangers! Save Boyd Hill!"

Council members took a nonbinding vote at the beginning of the hearing and pledged to restore the funding for the rangers, and not to count on $800,000 in revenue from new parking meters.

"I'd like to say thank you to the mayor and the council for keeping the rangers," said Gabriel Vargo, who volunteers at the park caring for birds of prey.

If approved, the city property tax rate will remain the same as last year, at $7.14 per $1,000 of taxable property value. However, council members gave preliminary approval Thursday for a water rate increase of 14.5 percent and a sewer rate increase of 9.85 percent.

The city's sewer system is old and needs repair and maintenance, and the city's cost for the water it sells to residents rose more than 20 percent, as the area depends more on sources besides well water.

"It's not an easy thing to support, but you've got to do it," council member Jay Lasita said. "Really, I believe we don't have any choice."

Residents used the budget discussions to address a host of issues. They asked for Walter Fuller Pool to remain heated and open in the winter. They stated opposition to a joint library project with St. Petersburg College that would shut the Azalea Branch Library.

And several complained that the budget omits several projects needed in the poor neighborhoods the city calls "Midtown." The Tampa Bay Action activist group held a news conference before Thursday night's hearing.

For instance, $800,000 for the renovation and redevelopment of the former Mercy Hospital and a $100,000 project to upgrade signal poles on 22nd Street S were not in the budget. City Internal Services Administrator Andy Houston said the city will still seek grant money for the projects. But that didn't satisfy the activists.

"I don't believe that dependence on outside sources gives us the staff we need to plan to redevelop that area," said the Rev. Manuel Sykes.

Also Thursday, the council:

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