Headlines through the years

By Times staff report
© St. Petersburg Times,
published December 9, 2001

A look back at the events, people and places that made North Pinellas the unique place that it is. The information is compiled from past editions of the St. Petersburg Times.

Nov. 22, 1932

Loss of tag money prompts complaints

TARPON SPRINGS -- The annual membership meeting of the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce turned into a protest session Monday as members complained that removal of the license tag agency from the auspices of the chamber would result in a loss of $500 in income per year.

Many speakers said the income, which will be lost by turning over the license tag renewal business to a private individual, is vitally needed by the chamber.

The license tag business has been handled in the past by the chamber secretary Mrs. Marion Maxwell. Speakers pointed out all of the proceeds from the tag sales had gone to the Chamber of Commerce and have been a portion of its operating expenses.

The chamber recently turned over the tag business to J.S. Register, a private individual.

Dec. 3, 1924

Record number of depositors reported

OLDSMAR -- The number of new depositors at the Oldsmar State Bank last month was the largest yet recorded in any one month since the bank opened, according to an announcement made yesterday by treasurer Irving Trask.

Trask reported that the bank had shown a greater increase in deposits in the month of November over those in October than in any one month over another since it has been in business.

Dec. 13, 1962

Employees get 'drop in the bucket'

The Pinellas County School Board yesterday authorized a "drop in the bucket" pay raise for some categories of school personnel whose wages have been so low that the system has been hard-pressed to keep up with the turnover.

The increases cover people employed in transportation, school lunches, custodial services, maintenance services and the stores division.

"For all these people that's not a drop in the bucket," said Charles Helman, board chairman. "I think over the past few years, we've been taking care of the chiefs and not the Indians."

Dec. 19, 1975

Dual tax plan ruled constitutional

CLEARWATER -- Circuit Judge David Seth Walker ruled here today that Pinellas County's dual tax plan is constitutional, was legally adopted and is a legitimate use of power by the County Commission.

Walker's ruling came in response to a suit filed by the United Citizen Action of Pinellas County group in protest of the County Commission's decision to tax residents of the unincorporated areas at a higher rate than city residents.

The higher non-city tax rate was adopted by commissioners to pay for county services such as sheriff's patrols, which are provided mainly for non-city residents.

Walker said cries that the dual tax plan was, in effect, taxation without representation because the additional levy was imposed without a referendum, "evokes from this court the greatest measure of understanding sympathy."

However, he said, his decision must be based on law rather than sympathy.

-- Julie Church compiles the history column. She can be reached at (727) 445-4229 or church@sptimes.com.

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