Mayor, council member give peace a chance

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 20, 2007

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CLEARWATER

Don't expect Round 2 of Hibbard vs. Gibson at tonight's Clearwater City Council meeting. The two men said this week they have gotten over the differences that led them into a tense, finger-pointing exchange during a Sept. 6 council discussion about a Clearwater Beach boat slip project. In the waning few minutes of Monday's work session, Mayor Frank Hibbard said he wanted to clear the air, saying he wished the exchange never happened. Hibbard also said he wants to "work collaboratively" with council colleague Paul Gibson. Gibson - who at one point on Sept. 6 asked Hibbard: "You want to go at it over this?" - said the press blew the disagreement out of proportion. The mayor, he added, "is a nice guy."

Uniformed copsto patrol city parks

Clearwater parks are going to have some new visitors: uniformed police officers. In response to residents' complaints about panhandlers and homeless people, the city plans to start dedicating an officer to four hours of daily park patrol. The officer, who will earn overtime pay, will work at different times each day and possibly at different parks. The pilot program will cost $28,000, and city officials will review it in six months to see whether it should continue.

SAFETY HARBOR

Budget drops tax rate to 2.5 mills

The Safety Harbor City Commission Tuesday night adopted a $70-million city budget and a property tax rate of 2.5 mills for the 2007-08 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. That rate is down 7.5 percent from last year's rate of 2.7 mills. That means someone who owns a $150,000 home and has a $25,000 homestead exemption will pay $312.50 in city taxes in 2008. This year, such property owners paid $337.50. That hypothetical tax bill does not include taxes paid to Pinellas County, the School Board, the Juvenile Welfare Board or other local taxing authorities.