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Beaches bridle at paying gas tax
By AMY WIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, CLEARWATER -- The original plan had county commissioners voting Tuesday on a new gas tax to help pay for improvements to Gulf Boulevard. But when they met Monday to review the proposal, they learned the gas tax might not be a legal way to pay for the undergrounding of utilities, lush landscaping and other amenities they hoped to beautify the beach cities' main thoroughfare. They also learned the project still doesn't have a definite price tag, though it likely will be less than $30-million. And their partners in the project, the cities and towns that line the barrier islands, are not as willing as they once were to pick up half the tab. "The partnership has changed," said Tom DeCesare, the mayor of Madeira Beach. "Now that we're finding out how . . . we're going to get the money; that changes the deal." The beach communities argue that if the county selects a gas tax to fund Gulf Boulevard improvements, then the beaches should not be expected to pay half the cost because their residents, like everyone else in the county, will be paying the gas tax as well. But commissioners reminded beach officials that Gulf Boulevard is just the first of several projects that would be funded with the new tax, and the arrangement between the county and the beaches will set a precedent for the others. During the past several years, elected beach officials have tried to conceive their own methods of sprucing up Gulf Boulevard, but were frustrated by the cost: about $1-million per mile. Now they hope the county will use the gas tax to fund the entire project. "We can't do it alone any more than you can do it alone," said County Commissioner Bob Stewart, saying the beaches' suggestion that the county pick up the whole cost could be the "death knell" for improvements along Gulf Boulevard. The disagreement with the beaches is only the beginning of the county's troubles with the gas tax, though the other problems appear surmountable. Commissioners learned Tuesday that county staff members have not determined how much of the Gulf Boulevard project can be financed with the new gas tax. While the gas tax money must be used on specific types of projects, Penny for Pinellas money must be used on "infrastructure projects," and lawyers will review the Gulf Boulevard project to determine whether Penny for Pinellas money can be redirected to Gulf Boulevard. If that happens, the gas tax actually will be used for projects that Penny for Pinellas was supposed to fund. The idea made County Commissioner Barbara Sheen Todd uncomfortable. "It elevates concern in me because I know that many years ago we had a very specific understanding that people would know the projects that were being undertaken with these funds," said Todd, referring to Penny for Pinellas money. Meanwhile, the county is working on the Gulf Boulevard plan without a definite idea of how much it will cost. The utility companies are reluctant to spend the money to calculate a figure until they are more confident the county will proceed with the project. The beaches, which might need to come up with as much as $15-million to pay for their half, are also concerned about the final numbers. The cost would be divided, based on how many miles of Gulf Boulevard frontage each city has. "This is what seems to be the concern from the communities out there," County Commissioner John Morroni said. "They need these numbers before they can jump in and sign on the dotted line." The disagreement also underscores a recurring theme among the beach towns that are part of the Barrier Islands Governmental Council, an organization of 10 beach cities excluding Clearwater that habitually questions how much the county does for them. Leon Atkinson, president of the Big-C and mayor of Treasure Island, reminded county commissioners Monday that the county needs a revived Gulf Boulevard in order to protect its tourism base. "I look at Gulf Boulevard as a way to get to our island, but it's also a little bit of a cash cow," Atkinson said. "Whatever the county puts in there, it's an investment."
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
