Ray Neri's speech to the
Florida Delegation
Nov. 15, 2007
GOOD MORNING CHAIRMAN
ANDERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION
MY NAME IS RAY NERI
I LIVE IN THE
UNINCORPORATED AREA OF PINELLAS COUNTY KNOWN AS LEALMAN
I AM PRESIDENT OF THE
LEALMAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND PRESIDENT OF UCAP, UNITED
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS OF PINELLAS, WHICH ADDRESSES COUNTY WIDE ISSUES
EFFECTING OTHER UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WITHIN PINELLAS COUNTY.
A MAJOR CONCERN
OF THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT UNINCORPORATED
PINELLAS IS THE ABSORPTION OF THEIR COMMUNITIES INTO CITIES THROUGH
ANNEXATION.
LEALMAN IS CURRENTLY
EXPERIENCING WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES FEAR WILL HAPPEN TO THEM. BUT LEALMAN
HAS THE ADDED BURDEN OF SUPPORTING A SPECIAL INDEPENDENT FIRE DISTRICT
A LEGISLATIVE
MANDATED TASK FORCE WAS CHARGED TO FIND AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION FOR THE
LEALMAN FIRE DISTRICT BEFORE THE FARKAS BILL SUNSETS. THE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE REPRESENTED THE COUNTY, THE
LEALMAN FIRE DISTRICT, ST. PETERSBURG AND PINELLAS PARK.
AFTER 6 MONTHS OF
NEGOTIATIONS THE TASK FORCE COULD NOT COME UP WITH AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION
TO ALL THE PARTIES BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT OUR FIRE SERVICE WOULD BECOME
MORE COSTLY BECAUSE THE FIRE DISTRICT WAS WILLING TO AGREE TO ANNEXATION
AT A LOWER MILLAGE THAN WE CURRENTLY PAY. WHILE THIS MAY ASSURE THE FIRE
DISTRICT’S SURVIVAL, IT WOULD RESULT IN AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS
OF LEALMAN WHO ALREADY PAY THE HIGHEST FIRE MILLAGES IN PINELLAS COUNTY.
WE SEE THE FIRE
DEPT’S SURVIVAL AS SEPARATE AND SECONDARY ISSUE FROM THAT OF THE
SURVIVAL OF LEALMAN AS A COMMUNITY. OUR COMMUNITY SEEKS PROTECTION FROM
ANNEXATION BECAUSE THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN LEALMAN WISH
TO REMAIN IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AND WISH TO KEEP THEIR COMMUNITY
INTACT.
AS LONG AS ANNEXATION
IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO EAT INTO OUR COMMUNITY, OUR FIRE TAXES WILL RISE
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IT WILL DIMINISH LEALMAN’S MSTU TAX BASE,
THE COUNTY MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH ITS REVITALIZATION PLANS FOR LEALMAN SINCE THE
COUNTY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER THE LONG TERM INVESTMENT REQUIRED. WHY
WOULD THE COUNTY INVEST IN THE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WE NEED
IF WHAT THEY IMPROVE IS SUBJECT TO ANNEXATION BY CITIES ONCE THE
IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE?
WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
THE ANNEXATION AGENDA OF THE CITIES IS. ST.PETE WANTS THE JOE’S CREEK
INDUSTRIAL PARK AND PINELLAS PARKS WANTS NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL AND THE AUTO
DEALERSHIPS AND OTHER BUSINESSES ON US19 AND 66TH STREET. THE
CITIES WANT THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY NOT THE RESIDENTS. THE COMMERCIAL
PROPERTIES ACCOUNT FOR WELL OVER 35% OF LEALMAN’S FIRE TAX BASE
IT IS THIS CHERRY
PICKING OF BUSINESS PRORERTIES WHICH WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE QUALITY OF
LIFE IN LEALMAN.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE
BEEN RECEIVING THE RESULTS OF OUR ANNEXATION SURVEY.
95%
OF THOSE RESPONDING TO THE SURVEY WISHED NOT TO BE ANNEXED. 4%
WISHED TO BE ANNEXED AND 1% DIDN’T CARE EITHER WAY. THIS WAS
SUBSTANTIATED AT A PUBLIC HEARING.
IN 1993 THE COUNTY DID
A SIMILAR SURVEY OF EAST AND WEST LEALMAN. IT RESULTED IN 92% OF THOSE
RESPONDING OPTING NOT WISHING TO BE ANNEXED.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR
OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO LISTEN TO THE 40,000 PLUS RESIDENTS OF
LEALMAN? DOESN’T THIS
COMMUNITY OF OVER 40,000 PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE ITS OWN
FUTURE?
ORANGE
COUNTY HAS FOUND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. THEIR CHARTER ALLOWS
THEIR COUNTY COMMISSION TO “DESIGNATE, AS PRESERVATION DISTRICTS, ANY
AREAS OF ORANGE COUNTY, THAT ARE NOT WITHIN MUNICIPALITIES AND HAVE
EXISTING HISTORICAL AND COHESIVE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES, TO BE
PROTECTED.” It is described fully in
sec.505 (a), (b) and (c). OF THE ORANGE COUNTY CHARTER (see attached)
ALL
WE ASK IS THAT YOU SUPPORT THE WISHES OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES LIKE
LEALMAN, TIERRA VERDE, UNINCORPORATED SEMINOLE, PALM HARBOR, EAST LAKE AND
FEATHER SOUND BY OFFERING THESE COMMUNITIES, THROUGH A CHARTER PROVISION,
THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN FUTURE AND PUT AN END TO THE OBSCENE
WASTE OF TIME, MONEY AND ENERGY IN PINELLAS COUNTY
OVER ANNEXATION. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED TO
PLACE YOU IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
