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Main Street Zephyrhills, which recently lost its director, hopes residents will come out to persuade the City Council to reconsider.
By BRADY DENNIS
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 30, 2001
ZEPHYRHILLS -- Starting next year, Main Street Zephyrhills might be half the organization it is now.
At least as far as its bank account goes.
City Council members are planning to cut Main Street's funding in half, from $20,000 to $10,000.
That could deal a serious blow to the organization, which recently lost its director and is searching for a new one.
"It's upsetting, very upsetting," said Jerry Miller, president of Main Street. "Everything we do helps us and helps our town. I'm hoping we can lobby enough to get (funding) back up a little bit."
City Manager Steve Spina agreed.
"I'm hoping that they will reconsider," he said. "The most important thing we have to do is let the community know that Main Street benefits everybody; it is what gives us our little special flair."
Council member Jim Bailey suggested the cut at a recent budget workshop, saying he thought it was time merchants began to donate more of their own money to Main Street.
Bailey could not be reached for comment.
No other council members objected to his suggestion, and the issue wasn't discussed further.
But the funding cut isn't a done deal yet. The City Council can amend the budget until it is approved, no later than Sept. 24.
Council member Mike Bussell said the idea behind the cut was to give Main Street funding comparable to the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.
"I would love to see Main Street come back and be strong," said Bussell, also a member of the organization's board of directors. "I think there is room for Main Street within the city."
But it will be an uphill battle. Since former director Betty Kennedy resigned in June, Main Street officials have been searching for a new director.
Miller said the organization has had applicants from places such as California, Arizona, Ocala and Dade City. But with only $10,000 in guaranteed funding, can Main Street attract a strong director?
"If they offer the new director a good deal," Bussell said. "The director could get a portion of membership commissions. There are a lot of people out there."
Spina isn't so sure that approach would work.
"It'll make hiring a director virtually impossible at this stage," Spina said. "The whole idea of the Main Street program is for it to stand alone. Main Street is fledgling. I don't think now is the time to be hesitating."
While the council considers cutting its budget, Main Street is in the middle of a project with the University of South Florida to conduct a $40,000 market study and land-use analysis of downtown.
The project is slated to be finished next March.
Spina said he feels sure council members would be open to talking about the funding and listening to suggestions from residents at public hearings for the budget, the last of which is set for Sept. 24.
He said merchants also can play a strong role in persuading the council to keep the funding intact.
"I think they need to voice their opinion, and no one has done that yet," he said.
Miller hopes downtown merchants will speak up and their collective voice will be loud enough to convince the council that the city will get its money's worth out of Main Street.
"I'm hoping we can survive and overcome this," he said. "We're crippled now, but we're getting back on our feet."