Small-business land use change denied

Dade City commissioners say the neighborhood was not the right location for businesses.

By HELEN ANNE TRAVIS, Times Staff Writer
Published September 28, 2007

DADE CITY- A third of the people attending Thursday night's Dade City commission meeting left muttering in relief after commissioners voted not to change the land use designation of a neighborhood near the U.S. 301 bypass.

If the change would have been approved, individual property owners within the area could have applied for a zoning change that would allow them to run small businesses from their homes.

Commissioner Scott Black said he saw merit in the idea, but after several drives around the neighborhood Thursday, he had reached his conclusion.

"I don't think this is our location," he said.

Though the land use change was denied, it doesn't mean that something like this won't come up again in the future.

"As a city, this is not something that we can simply bury and suggest it's going away," said Mayor Hutch Brock.

Officials and residents need to maintain a constant dialogue on ways for the city to reasonably grow, he said.

Commissioners also approved the city's $10.6-million budget for 2007-08. The millage rate was set at 7.10 mills, which accommodates rising property values and will provide similar ad valorem revenues for the city compared to what it received last year.

A mill produces $1 in tax for every $1,000 in taxable property value. At 7.10 mills, a person whose home is assessed at $150,000, minus the $25,000 homestead exemption, would pay $887.50 in city taxes. Dade City residents also pay 1.1 mills to Pasco County for fire protection as well as taxes to other entities.

At the last meeting, Commissioner Steve Van Gorden called the 2007-2008 budget's 2 percent raise for city employees "embarrassing." Since then, commissioners have researched ways to reallocate funds for larger raises.

After a lengthy discussion, commissioners switched around $40,000 in the budget to give city employees a 3 percent raise. The extra funds came from eliminating the purchase of new fleet equipment, reducing city commissioners' travel expenses and redirecting money left over from the vacancy of the former safety services director position.

Helen Anne Travis can be reached at 352 521-6518 or htravis@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 22:07:36]