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Highlands Today

County Holds Off Decision On Land-Buy Tax

Administrator Wants Public Comment

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: July 8, 2008

SEBRING - Four of the five Highlands County commissioners are leaning toward letting voters decide in the November general election whether they want to pay an extra 2/10ths of 1 mill in property tax to fund purchase of conservation lands.

On Tuesday, though, they agreed with county Administrator Michael Wright that more public discussion and input is needed before they decide to put it on the ballot.

Led by Elton Gissendanner, a Lake Placid area veterinarian and former state representative, proponents of the tax issue say it would raise $1 million per year and bring in that much or more in state matching money from the Florida Forever grant program.

Commissioner Barbara Stewart summed up the comments of her fellow commissioners when she said questions about the tax issue need to be clarified before a decision to put it on the ballot.

Stewart said questions about this tax issue need to be answered in "simple but substantive and very straightforward" terms."

Commissioners voted unanimously to send this proposed conservation tax back to the county's Natural Resources Advisory Committee for more discussion.

"NRAC is ready to accept the challenge in regards to this referendum," said Mike Waldron, chairman of the committee. NRAC members, who already reviewed the issue and sent it to the county commission, will discuss it again at their July 25 meeting.

While some supporters of this tax issue to bring in state matching money and acquire conservation land expressed disappointment after the commissioners' action, all agreed to work toward getting the issue on the November ballot.

Deadline to put an issue on the November ballot is Aug. 26.

"There's a potential for a very good coalition" to run a good campaign for this tax issue, said Hilary Swain, executive director of Archbold Biological Station and an NRAC member.

Wright, who's been the county's chief executive officer for six weeks now, said he doesn't know enough about this tax issue to know if it's a good or bad idea." Wright said what he does know is that this tax issue "needs a little more vetting" and also "needs a  lot of public discussion."

Two critical questions must be answered, Stewart said. First, how will the tax money be spent? And second, what safeguards will be in place to guarantee that the funds are spent wisely?

Stewart also said the decision to send the issue back to NRAC for more discussion should not be taken as a sign that the commissioners are against this tax issue.

Gissendanner, running as a Democrat for the state representative's seat held by Republican Denise Grimsley, launched the referendum to put this issue on the ballot.

"This is a piece of business that the people have to decide," he told the commissioners. "I have faith in the people, I think they'll make the right decision, and I think you ought to give them a chance."

Ray Royce, executive director of the Heartland Agricultural Coalition, said several important questions must be answered clearly before commissioners put the tax issue on the ballot.

"Our folks," he said, referring to all farming interests, "may very well be supportive of this in the future." But, he said, there is "no need to rush headlong" to put this on the ballot.

Commissioner Guy Maxcy said he agreed with Royce that some questions about the issue need to be answered.

Maxcy, though, said he considers the question of whether to raise taxes to save environmentally important land "so important for our county that it should go to referendum.

"Whether I'm for it or not," he added, "I as a board member don't think we should make that decision. It should go to the folks and let them vote it up or down."

Only one commissioner, Edgar Stokes, has spoken out against the proposed tax for conservation land.

"I'm not for this thing," Stokes said about the tax issue. "I'm sure that's clear to everybody."

Stewart said all questions about this issue can be cleared up in time for commissioners to act by the Aug. 26 deadline.

"These issues," she said, "can be resolved quickly."

To reach Jim Konkoly, call 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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