Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
LORRI HELFANDBob Jackson details his frustrations about efforts to settle disputes, especially regarding annexations. County officials see it differently.
LARGO - Turf wars between Largo and the county are nothing new.
But last week, Mayor Bob Jackson put his frustrations in writing and jotted off a seven-page, single-spaced letter to County Commission Chairwoman Susan Latvala.
The county and the city have made efforts to iron out their differences, but Jackson's letter said those talks are falling short and blamed the county for creating a climate of distrust.
"There's something disjointed here," he said. "We're not communicating."
Among other topics, Jackson wrote that the county was making decisions that affect Largo and other cities without their input and was challenging Largo's annexations unnecessarily.
County Administrator Steve Spratt said rehashing long-debated issues in an accusatory fashion is destructive.
"I disagree with the view that somehow the county breeds mistrust," Spratt said.
The letter came as an awkward surprise, Latvala said.
"Here we go" was her initial reaction, she said.
She maintains that Largo officials are not upset about the lack of communication. They're upset because the county makes decisions the city doesn't agree with.
"We are talking, and we have been talking, and they don't like our position, and I don't know what to do about that," she said.
Jackson has met one-on-one with county commissioners. Spratt and Largo City Manager Steve Stanton have been meeting routinely as well. A group of countywide activists and leaders called the Pinellas Assembly has been discussing solutions to annexation problems and other issues.
But, Jackson said, the letter was necessary because parties often disagree on past discussions and past agreements.
"By putting it down in writing, there's no question about our positions," Jackson said.
His letter received a seal of approval from the City Commission and is posted on Largo's Web site.
Jackson hoped his correspondence would create a deeper, more successful dialogue between the parties and help avoid unnecessary litigation.
"We were talking, but the county was still making decisions that were not sensitive to the community," Jackson said.
Among other topics, the letter rehashes disputes over annexation planning areas, which established domains that cities could eventually annex. Jackson wrote that he was disappointed that the county discussed the possibility of defining "properties of metropolitan significance," county properties that are exempt from city control. He was concerned the county didn't seek Largo's opinion for solutions to tax rate inequities in the High Point Fire District served by Largo.
Ultimately, Spratt said, the disagreements boil down to one major issue.
"The real flash point and the real conflict between the county and certain cities is annexation," Spratt said.
And Largo's aggressive stance on annexation makes it logical the two entities will butt heads.
Latvala took a firmer stance.
"It's all about annexation and more tax dollars coming into their coffers," Latvala said.
It's no secret that the two parties rarely see eye to eye on the topic.
The county only steps in to halt annexations when the actions are illegal or residents complain, Latvala said.
"If it is a legal annexation, we say "Bless you.' We have never fought a legal annexation. When people willingly annex, the cities have never heard a peep out of us," Latvala said.
Stanton initially laughed in reaction to Latvala's comments but then said, "The city perceives that the county has gone out of its way to categorize lawful annexations as unlawful as a way to contest legal annexations."
Stanton noted Pinellas County's 1998 suit over the city's annexation of Belcher Elementary School. The county claimed the annexation illegally created an enclave, but it dropped the case when maps showed otherwise.
But, Spratt said, Largo left the county out of the loop when it annexed some county drainage properties without the commission's input.
Latvala said she hasn't decided how to respond to Jackson's letter but said she'll likely draft one of her own.
"We'll continue our dialogue," Latvala said. "We already knew we had these differences of opinion, and we'll continue to work on them."
- Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com