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Group wants to disband a city

A political action committee will ask state lawmakers for a special bill that would put the issue on a ballot.

By PHIL DAVIS
Published October 11, 2005

PORT RICHEY - A group of residents is again seeking to disband the city.

Port Richey Citizens for Lower Taxes filed its first campaign finance report Friday in a new effort to get voters to decide if the city should continue to exist.

"We just want to put it on the ballot so people can have a choice," said Dr. Stephen Johnston, the political action committee's treasurer.

Johnston said the city would be better off as a county neighborhood such as Beacon Woods or Gulf Harbors instead of paying taxes for city services.

"For me, it's money," Johnston said. "The city is so tiny. All the money gets sucked up by the bureaucracy. Very little comes back for improvements"

The eradication effort is nothing new in Port Richey. The city was formed in 1925 after ducking out of New Port Richey's incorporation efforts.

A similar effort by some of the same people failed in 2004 when then-City Attorney Jerry Figurski said the group's petition had procedural and legal flaws and advised the City Council not to act on it. Other efforts to dissolve the city failed in 1978 and 1997. Some residents have also lobbied to merge Port Richey with larger New Port Richey, resulting in major political fights in 1975, 1980 and 1990.

There have also been efforts to cut back on city services, including a 2003 movement to disband the Police Department. Supporters of the Police Department threatened to try to dissolve the city if the officers were axed.

This time the political action committee, led by local dentist Robert Goluba, is bypassing the city.

The group plans to take the issue to the Pasco County legislative delegation on Nov. 1. It will ask state lawmakers to propose a special bill that would put the issue of dissolution to a vote. The first step is winning the support of the delegation.

The group faces a daunting challenge. State Sen. Mike Fasano told the group it will need the support of more than half of the city's 2,037 registered voters to get the attention of the legislative delegation. Last year, the group gathered about 300 signatures and the city said some of them were not valid.

"If you want a local bill of any kind, it's always a good idea to come with the support of a majority of voters," Fasano said. "I am not taking sides on this issue. I do not live in the city of Port Richey. That is up to them to decide."

[Last modified October 11, 2005, 01:58:15]