Although a crowd gathered to oppose it, the measure was passed 3-2 by New Port Richey officials. The fee will help cover a $1.2-million budget shortfall.
By MELIA BOWIE
Published September 3, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - City Council members were expecting a crowd for a final reading Tuesday night of a proposed street light service fee that would affect everyone but public schools.
They lined up neat rows of blue chairs in the hallway leading to City Council chambers, anticipating the opposition would exceed the room's 200-person fire code. They set up speakers outside so everyone could hear.
They got their crowd. And after the crowd had their say, they heard the council vote 3-2 to approve the fee that will generate $203,000 in revenue - money needed to help balance a $1.2-million shortfall in New Port Richey's 2003-2004 operating budget.
Mayor Frank Parker and council members Tom Finn and Scott Chittum voted for the fee.
The street fee is based on square footage. It will go into effect Oct. 1 and cost the average homeowner $22.67 a year. Nonresidential uses or commercial property would pay varying amounts. A property ranging from 2,001 to 3,000 square feet will pay $31 a year; sites that are 10,001 to 12,000 square feet would pay $135 annually; and the largest sites, ranging from 250,001 to 300,000 square feet, would pay $3,352 a year.
Next up for the council will be a vote on whether or not to raise taxes - an anticipated move after a controversial fire fee that would have generated nearly $1-million was defeated 3-2 on Aug. 21 by Parker and council members Ginny Miller and Bob Langford.
However, on that same date, Parker, Finn and Chittum voted to approve the street light fee on first reading.
With the street light fee, city staff recommended raising property taxes from 6.25 mills to 7.5 mills.
That means a jump from $468.75 to $562.50 in annual taxes for a home valued at $100,000 (with Florida's $25,000 homestead exemption.) One mill is equal to $1 of tax for each $1,000 of taxable value.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the 2003-2004 budget Sept. 8.
