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Just like us, county can tighten belt

Editor's note: The following was sent to the County Commission and is being reprinted at the author's request.

If you don't provide intelligent leadership, you will cause great financial stress to many Citrus taxpayers. I feel that there is not enough cutting of unnecessary spending.

My experience reminds me of the way military and private industry budgets are approached. Ask for more than you need and spend all that you get. The sheriff's budget is so bloated, and if he doesn't get what he wants, he stomps his feet until the commissioners cave. Interesting enough, when former County Administrator Richard Wesch was terminated, Sheriff Jeff Dawsy found nearly $100,000 in his budget immediately to hire him.

Our taxing needs are predicated in part by the lack of leadership in the past, i.e., not increasing impact fees. Each new home costs up to $30,000 in infrastructure, yet our impact fees are far below that amount. It's ironic; the building and real estate industries fought the increases and now they are reaping what they sowed.

I have personally benefited from the escalating values; however, the taxes on one of my lots went from $600 a year to more than $3,000. I can't fathom any property values going down; obviously some have. It would be interesting to learn more about them and who owns them.

It is clear that the commissioners must reduce the millage and not act like drunken sailors on shore leave with our money. The hangover is beginning and will likely result in commissioners not being elected or re-elected if they do not heed the citizens' plea for relief. I received only one response from the commissioners, which essentially said that they are not responsible for the cost of living rising.

What they just don't get is that it is they who can reduce the millage and cut spending. Does the sheriff really need a heretofore not budgeted position of legal counsel at over $100,000 a year? That "paltry" amount would pay for my taxes for about 20 years at my present almost $5,000 a year. They act like they can't get along without everything on their wish list, but the taxpayers can't buy everything they want.

All government has gotten out of hand, and taxpayers are becoming fed up finally. The salaries and benefits are outstripping private industry and we stockholders are sick and tired of it. We need and demand relief now, not next year. Tighten your belts as we taxpayers must do.

Frank B. Hill, Homosassa

Voters spoke in Yankeetown

Editor: We, the people of Yankeetown, went to the polls and voiced our opinion on the way things have been run in our town and what we want our future to look like. The vehicle we used for change was not breaking and entering: It was the ballot box. If it takes being called a mob to guarantee a free and open government, then so be it.

One more time so you all understand! No one ran on the platform of NO development.

What we want is to have all persons who own property build in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinances that were in place when they purchased. We oppose rezoning residential land to commercial. That's it. It's pretty simple.

We also want an open government that gives its citizens opportunity for input and listens to suggestions on the direction the town should take. The overwhelming vote has told opponents who we are and what we want. I suggest trying to work with us, rather than spreading misinformation and innuendo, as a new approach to all of us living and working together.

Marsha Drew, Yankeetown

Pool closing in winter hurts many

Editor's note: This is a letter sent to Citrus County's director of Community Services, Brad Thorpe, and is printed here at the author's request.

I am the parent of a Sun Coast Swim Team and high school swimmer for Crystal River. I find the news that the county has chosen to close the Bicentennial Park pool for four months to save money extremely disturbing.

Unfortunately, the high schools in this county do not have their own on-campus pools nor can they afford one. Closing this pool not only affects Crystal River High School but it also affects Lecanto High School.

It is shameful that this county is choosing to close a pool that does so much service not only to these swimmers but to the adult swimmers who use the pool for open swim and lap swim. Some of those adults use the pool for therapeutic reasons. A lot of them cannot do exercises that cause moderate to high levels of impact to their joints or their joint replacements. The pool is the only means of exercise that they are able to get.

Apparently, the county has decided to turn off the heat for four months (to save $20,000) and will not hire a full-time life guard and probably won't advertise the pool manager job now vacant.

We were planning to start up SCST operations on Nov. 1 at least three days a week. Myself and others have been working on increasing our coaching staff in hopes of going five days. We can manage without a life guard as we always do. (We have keys.) But, without heat, we are more than figuratively "out in the cold."

If we are to ever have a real year-round team in Citrus County, now is the time for the wheel to squeak and squeak loudly.

This decision makes no sense. There is no budget shortfall; the county has an increase of $11-million in tax revenues from last year's budget due to the increase in property values. Reducing the mileage rate only lowered the additional tax revenues the county was going to receive from $22-million down to only an $11-million increase in tax revenues. Why is our pool being shut down and are any baseball fields or soccer fields around the county being closed?

Laura Shirley, Homosassa

Answers at forum don't need spin

Editor: Re: Water forum separates the rookies from the pros, Opinion column Friday, Sept. 22

This week we attended a political forum sponsored by Citrus 20/20, Save Our Waters Week. Greg Hamilton's opinion column offers some interesting spin. Here are some examples:

Moderator's question: Would you favor prohibiting people from having private wells if there is a public water system available? You commented that the candidates all went to some length to give answers until it came to Commissioner Gary Bartell, who said the county has no legal standing in this matter.

FACT: Bartell needed to listen more closely to the question. All candidates gave an answer to the question asked except for Bartell, who dodged the question by saying, the county has no legal say in the matter.

Moderator's question: Explain the differences between a Municipal Services Benefit Unit and a Municipal Services Taxing Unit. You state the other candidates waited to let the smart kid answer first, inferring Bartell is the smart kid.

FACT: The other candidates had to wait for Bartell to answer, since the moderator chose to ask him first.

You state in your column that Thrumston is the man with a plan. What's his plan?

FACT: His plan was to give a generic, nonspecific answer, then keep repeating it. He kept saying (six times total), in response to questions: I must go back to my opening statement; we have to have a plan.

You said Bernie Leven, District 4 Democratic candidate for County Commission, managed to stay with the consensus on every issue with one slight wobble.

FACT: Leven was the only candidate I heard supporting test wells to get an accurate reading of water quality at different points and times.

Regarding his answer to, "Would you support metering irrigation wells," you reported Leven first said no, then maybe, then the idea has merit, and finally I'll just ride the fence.

FACT: Leven said it was an interesting idea requiring some research. Several candidates said no, including Thrumston, citing cost, which tells me that dollars, for him, trump the environment.

The columnist states that Roger Proffer (Crystal River mayoral candidate) said an oil spill in Black Diamond would be in Kings Bay within two days, then gave Bartell points for correcting him, because he said it would take 20 years, then gave Bartell additional points when he stated the aquifer flows from southeast to northwest.

FACT: Bartell's recital of common knowledge regarding aquifer flow hardly warrants points. That's like saying a bird can't fly without wings.

Observation - The author seemed to be enamored of Bartell and Thrumston, and used the power of the pen to demonstrate. I found it interesting that he didn't mention Bartell's opening statements, in which he focused on his past history with Tampa, and their desire to secure alternate sources of water. Could it be that Bartell knows something the Citrus County residents need to know?

Further, you called a man with no plan, Thrumston, a man with a plan. Go figure.

Final thoughts. My impression is that Hamilton's article was politically slanted and I would hope his future reporting would be more reflective of what was actually said, rather than spinning what was said.

All in all, we felt all candidates were sincere in their answers and want to make Citrus County a better place now, and by extension, leave Citrus County a better place for future generations to reside.

Jim Gries, Homosassa

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[Last modified September 27, 2006, 06:56:20]