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Church to administer West Elfers Cemetery

A plan with the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg will get the lawn mowed and trash picked up regularly.

By GARRETT THEROLF
Published April 26, 2006

NEW PORT RICHEY - The West Elfers Cemetery, resting place for some of the county's most notable historical figures but also the site of some of its most neglected graves, has a new plan for maintenance.

County commissioners approved a deal with the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, which co-owns the property with the county, that will place the cemetery's $270,000 trust fund in the hands of the church. That, they promised, will assure that the grass will once again be mowed, and trash will be taken away.

The fund had until now been administered by AmSouth bank, which last year said it was not producing enough interest income to support $500 in monthly maintenance fees.

The agreement to transfer the fund to the church came over the objections of some family members of the deceased, however, who worried that the church may eventually say the same thing and said they wanted to administer the funds themselves.

"Perhaps we could step in as a management company," suggested one of the group's leaders, Jeff Cannon, whose great-grandparents are among the buried.

Cannon said he objected to provisions in the contract that would allow the church to take administrative fees. Commissioners responded to that concern by asking their staff to place limits on such fees in the contract.

Some of the dozens of family members attending the meeting at the Pasco County Government Center in New Port Richey also objected to a provision that would allow the church to use some of the fund's principal in the event of a natural disaster.

"We have disasters every hurricane season," said Danielle Baillie-Posner, whose great-great-grandfather, Peter K. Baillie, was the first to be buried at the cemetery in 1877.

The families of the deceased lost control of the cemetery during the Great Depression through a tax deed sale. The buyer of the property, who was Catholic, left it to his son, who then left it to the church and the county in the 1980s.

In other county news Tuesday:

Commissioners said they have moved a step closer to extending Ridge Road from New Port Richey to U.S. 41. They said they have secured a sufficient tract of conservation land required by the Army Corp of Engineers because of the damage to wildlife habitat that the road is projected to cause. Michele Baker, engineering services program director, said construction could begin next fiscal year. Permits are still pending, however.

Commissioners unanimously approved the $3.2-million purchase of 600 coastal acres in Hudson. The land, which is to the west of Strauber Memorial Highway in Hudson, will be the site of a low-impact park. The state has agreed to contribute $1.35-million to the deal.

Garrett Therolf covers Pasco county government. He can be reached at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6232, or in west Pasco at 869-6232. His e-mail address is gtherolf@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 26, 2006, 01:22:18]