LEALMAN UNDER ATTACK

 The Lealman Community is once again under annexation attack by its neighboring cities St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park.

Brief background to the current state of affairs

Because of lawsuits filed by the Lealman Special Independent Fire District (LSIFD) against St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park for non-payment of lost tax revenue due to annexation, as provided for under the Farkas Bill, the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation mandated the formation of a mediation “Task Force”. The Task Force is comprised of representative from Pinellas County, the Lealman Fire District and the cities of St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Kenneth City, and Seminole. Their mandate is to attempt to come to a resolution, through arbitration, to settle and their grievances out of court. Notably absent from the table are representatives from the people of Lealman who could provide the voice of the people in regards to any settlement.

 The Task Force

Officials and their attorneys invited to the table are:

	Representing Pinellas Park: Mayor Bill Mischler*
	Representing St. Petersburg: Mayor Baker or Vice Mayor        Tish Elston *
	Representing Kenneth City: Mayor Murial Whitman Representing Seminole: Vice Mayor Thomas Barnhorn or        City Mgr. Frank Edmonds
	Representing the Lealman Fire District: Chairwoman Rebecca Harriman*
	Representing Pinellas County: Commissioner Welch*

* Those entities allowed to vote

Each participant of the Task Force has their own agenda. This became apparent after hearing the initial proposition by the Lealman Fire District who agreed to annexation as long as the fire tax payment continued to be paid for a period of 20 years. Counter recommendations by the cities would put both Lealman and the Fire District in an untenable position. The following is our assessment of each member’s agenda:

 St. Petersburg’s main goal is to annex the Joe’s Creek Industrial Park. The loss of this significant amount of commercial property tax base would badly cripple the financial base supporting the Lealman Fire District and would throw the burden of supporting the Fire District onto the backs of Lealman’s homeowners. The would agree to a lower tax than Lealman residents pay over a five year period and a possible five year extension.

 Pinellas Park wishes to annex into Lealman to 58^th Avenue. Conveniently this would mean the loss of much of the commercial property on US 19 and would include North Side Hospital on 49^th Street and other business along 49^th Street and 66^th Street. The loss of this tax revenue would be substantial and would cause an even higher rise in the cost to Lealman’s residents for fire protection.

Seminole and the Lealman Fire District have been negotiating to create an inter-local agreement that would spell out what would and would not be annexed and what services each entity would provide to their respective areas. Currently we contract with Bay Pines to provide their fire service. That contract would be returned to Seminole. However, the details of this agreement have not as yet been finalized.

 Commissioner Ken Welch represents both the constituents of Lealman and St. Petersburg in his capacity as Commissioner.  The Mayors advocate 100% for their city’s interest and the Lealman Fire Department advocates 100% for the continuation of their own existence and the retention of their jobs. While I have the greatest admiration and respect for Commissioner Welch’s integrity, his position as a County Commissioner demands he be fair to all the parties at the table. He represents both unincorporated areas and cities. In contrast, the people of Lealman have no one at the table that is 100% committed to the interests of the people of Lealman. 

As a starting basis for discussion, the Lealman Fire District (LFD) offered an initial proposal to the Task Force members . The LFD’s proposal offered withdrawal of pending lawsuits against St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park for monies due them for annexations under the Farkas Bill. The LFD also proposed that they be compensated for future loss of revenue of annexed properties annexed by the cities based on a formula (not yet determined) for a period of 20 years. This would be a disastrous plan for Lealman as residents succumb to rising taxes as the tax base is annexed away.  It was clear to those attending that the LFD’s proposal did not seek protection against annexation only the protection of the revenue lost by annexation, for a period of 20 years.

At the following Task Force meeting the cities made their counter proposals by taking the opportunity to sharpen their knives and their appetites. The cities claimed they deliver fire protection service more economically than the LFD and proposed a lower amount to be paid the LFD for properties they annex.  The cities also suggested a formula be used to adjust for the cost of expanded services cities claim they provide and which the Lealman Fire District does not.  Their assumption is that they should reimburse the LFD at a lower rate than the annexed properties are currently taxed by the LFD. To make matters worse the properties that the cities annex may still have to be serviced by the LFD. This arrangement would assuredly cause a loss of revenue to the LFD and result in the tax payers of Lealman having to pick up the slack in revenue.