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Politics

Counties stress their thrift

They say property tax increases were spent on vital services.

By ALEX LEARY
Published March 9, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Trying to shake the image of wasteful spenders of public money, Florida's counties released a study Thursday contending much of the increase in property taxes is driven by law enforcement, fuel, insurance and other necessary expenses.

"I didn't find any evidence of extravagant spending," said Hank Fishkind, an Orlando economist who wrote the report for the Florida Association of Counties.

Of the $11.4-billion in new property tax revenue statewide from 1999 to 2005, counties were responsible for $3.9-billion - a 78 percent jump, according to the report

The category with the largest increase at the county level, $673-million, was law enforcement. Health insurance, employee pensions, parks, road construction and other factors, such as electronic voting machines, contributed to the increase, Fishkind said.

Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, appearing at a news conference, warned about a House Republican plan to roll back tax rates and cap future revenue collection. "That would cause me to do away with some programs like school resources officers, helicopters, school crossing guards."

But some lawmakers said local governments must respond to the pain being felt by citizens.

"The bottom line is taxpayers are getting tired," said Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee. "The extractions from the taxpayers' wallets are extravagant and you can't deny that."

Counties also pointed to growing cost for education. Of the $11.4-billion overall increase, $4.2-billion was for schools, and the state has pushed an increasing share to local districts.

House Republicans have already proposed a property tax rate rollback that would take $5.8-billion from local coffers. Pinellas County, for example, says it would lose $259-million this year, or more than 50 percent.

On Wednesday, Sen. Mike Haridopolos said the Senate is also looking at a rollback but not as severe as the House wants, perhaps going to 2004 tax rates instead of 2001.Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, said the Senate is also preparing a bill for release next week that require property appraisers to assess property at current use, not its best and highest use. Many counties use the latter because it produces more money.

The House plan would cap future growth based on inflation. The Senate has also talked about caps.

But counties argue that is a poor measure. Counties saw cost increases of 58 percent, the report said, more than three times the consumer price index. House Republicans pointed out that county revenue also rose by nearly 80 percent.

"Local governments don't buy a whole lot of food," Fishkind said. They buy a lot pensions. They buy a whole lot of fuel. They buy a whole lot of other things that are more expensive."

Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala, who is president of the county association, argued that caps should be a local decision but said counties could feel comfortable with a range of 8 to 10 percent.

"Florida's 67 county governments agree wholeheartedly that our state's current property tax system is broken and needs repair," she said. "But Florida's counties cannot and will not support hastily drafted, one-size-fits all state solutions that could severely impact crucial local programs and services."

[Last modified March 9, 2007, 12:45:11]