Update on Task Force Meetings
updated 10/3/2007
The Lealman Fire Board offers first plan
1.
Payment of fire assessment for 20 years
2.
Withdrawal from Suit pending against St. Pete and Pinellas Park
3. Pay
LFD the going rate of the annexing Cities
4.
Cities were asked to provide a breakout of costs but as yet have not.
Counter Offer by cities
1.
Payment for 5 years with an extension of another 5 years if needed.
2. Will
not pay Lealman’s tax rate but an adjusted tax rate that the cities say
that they can deliver the same level of service for.
Counter offer by LFD
1. 15
year payment guarantee at Lealman’s rate
2. Law
suit stays on the table
3. The
amount of annexation would be limited to .05% of the taxable value of the
Lealman area per city.
Bottom Line - Annexation of our most valuable properties will take
place once the price is agreed upon and a locked in by inter-local
agreement. There will no longer be any protection annexation except our
willingness to say no. Commercial properties will most likely be annexed
because cities will offer incentives that the County will not.
The loss of commercial property tax revenue will cause those remaining
unincorporated residents to bear the burden of the Fire District.
A separate deal with Seminole gives the LFD assurance that Seminole
would not annex into West Lealman at this time. If Seminole does annexes
into the LFD it will reimburse the LFD at a lower rate than what we pay.
Seminole agrees to pay the LFD a lump sum amount and the LFD will continue
to be first responders to previously annexed property without any
compensation.
The tax payers of Lealman will continue to subsidize Kenneth City’s fire
protection under a contract that will costs them approximately 1/3 of what
we in Lealman pay.
The Attorneys
The attorneys for all parties were asked to get together to see if they
could come up with a compromise acceptable to their clients. The
compromise will be revealed at the next Task Force meeting at 5PM
October 10th at the Train Station in Pinellas Park. From statements
made by Commissioner Welch at the last Commissioners meeting, he expects a
compromise to be reached.
The issue is no longer what the residents of Lealman want
to happen to its community it is about what the LFD agree to accept in
payment for annexed property, if and when land is annexed.
The predictable outcome
The cities, once an acceptable payment rate is agreed upon, will annex all
of the valuable commercial property within Lealman. St. Pete wants east of
US19 which includes all of the Joe’s Creek Industrial Park.
Pinellas Park wants to annex down to 54th Ave or at least 58th Ave. N.
They want the car dealerships, Northside Hospital and the commercial
property on US19, 49th Street and 66th Street.
Stripped of the commercial revenue, the burden of supporting the Lealman
Fire District falls on those of us remaining. But just as important is the
loss of tax revenue to the County which will make it difficult to get any
substantial infrastructure improvements in Lealman. Additionally if the
county made improvements, it would only make the area susceptible to more
annexation.
The cities are at the table with 100% of their own agenda of self interest
which is to annex anything of taxable value, regardless how it affects the
residents of Lealman.
The Lealman Fire District is at the table serving their agenda of self
interest which is to survive as long as possible by assuring tax payments
of annexed property even if that payment is less than that are not
annexed.
The County, weakened by a recent rash of missteps, is open to seeking a
compromise and to get the annexation issues behind them. At best, a
representative of the County Commission on the Task Force, will seek a
compromise. In any compromise on annexation the Community of Lealman
loses.
The people finally get to speak
The people of Lealman are being told that they will have one day to speak
their mind. The Task Force has been meeting for months. That day is October
18th at Dixie Hollins at 6:00PM.
What we have not received is a response to our request that a Community
Protection Act be one of the considerations on the table for the Task
Force’s consideration. And probably won’t until the residents of
Lealman get very vocal. We have asked to have the protection of the Farkas
Bill extended for one year while more public meetings can be held and more
public input can be considered as to the ramifications of annexation on
the Lealman Community and the feasibility of implementing the Community
Protection Act.
Rev 10-03-07
