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Highlands Today

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

Sebring Approves Budget And Tax Rate

By MARC VALERO
Highlands Today
SEBRING - With one council member voting "no" to the budget, the Sebring City Council approved the city's 2008-09 budget and property tax rate.

The council approved a millage rate of 5.6016 mils, which includes the decrease of .0255 mils to offset the implementation of the fire protection assessment at 1 percent.

Without the reduction .0255 mils the millage rate would have been the same as the 2007-08 fiscal year rate of 5.6271.

The total city budget for 2008-09 is $26,433,902, which is about $5.33 million less than the 2007-08 budget.

Budgets can fluctuate from year to year because of big capital improvements in one year's budget and not in the next year's, Mike Eastman said.
Councilwoman Margie Rhoades suggested returning to the budget the $50,000 renovation project of the U.S. 27 fire station (Station 15). The project was voted out of the budget by the city council a few weeks ago in Rhodes' absence.

"We have the money," she said. There's a need and the governor supports putting government construction projects on the fast track to help the economy."

The motion passed with "no" votes by Councilmen Dan Andrews and Scott Stanley.

Also, Andrews voted against the city budget because it included no provision for paying the electric and security costs of Harder Hall while the city seeks a buyer for the historic hotel and property.

How are you going to pay the electric and the security? Do you have the money to do that now, Councilman John Griffin asked Eastman.

Eastman replied it will probably come from the grant money, which is invested, some of that is in general fund investment. "We might have to advance some from that until we sell it."

Councilman Andrews asked: "How does this work Mike, if we had nothing budgeted and we have a power bill that comes in and we go to pay that power bill? How does it work? Just override the budget?"

Eastman responded, "the main reason we have a budget and a purchasing policy is so we can control those numbers. It doesn't matter to me. It's a judgment thing. I don't think it's totally necessary, but if you feel more comfortable budgeting, I'll go ahead and budget it."

Andrews said, "I think we need to budget for what our costs will be."

The only change to the budget at Wednesday night's budget hearing was the addition of $50,000 for the renovation of Fire Station 15.

County Considering Spraying For Mosquitoes

By JIM KONKOLY
Highlands Today
SEBRING - Edgar Stokes, chairman of the Highlands County commissioners, kicked off the county's investigation into spraying pesticides, by both airplanes and trucks, to battle the expected hordes of mosquitoes that will probably descend on the county in the wake of Fay and the three new tropical storms headed toward or near the Florida peninsula.

How bad are the mosquitoes right now from the flood and standing waters left by Tropical Storm Fay?

"It's so bad the armadillos won't come out of their holes," Stokes, a cattle rancher in Lorida, quipped, bringing the only round of laughter Tuesday during the serious discussion on how bad the mosquito infestation may become and how the county could fight it.

"In the southern end of the county," said Commissioner Don Bates, "I've gotten requests for mosquito spraying."

"I have too, out on the prairie," Stokes added, referring to the Lorida area.

Commissioner Guy Maxcy said he's received requests for mosquito spraying in a number of Sebring area subdivisions, including Leisure Lakes, Golf Hammock and Sebring Hills.

Stokes reported a growing mosquito problem all along the overflowed banks of Arbuckle Creek.

Vicki Pontius, director of the parks and recreation department, said an estimate for a complete mosquito spraying program for the entire county was given at about $700,000, and that was several years ago.

Pontius also reported that the county has no regular mosquito control program, but it has sprayed in the wake of tropical storms that bring heavy infestations of blood-sucking insects that can carry West Nile Virus and other diseases.

Several years ago, to gauge whether the public would be willing to pay for mosquito control programs, Pontius took the $700,000 estimated cost and computed that the owner of the averaged priced home in Highlands County would have to pay an additional $38 per year in property taxes to fund it.

That information was sent out to property owners in their TRIM notices several years ago, along with a request to tell the county whether they would be wiling to pay the extra $38 per year.

Committee Wants To Close Public Access To Denton

By JIM KONKOLY
Highlands Today
SEBRING - In a 4-1 vote early Tuesday evening, the Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee recommended that the Highlands County commissioners permanently close public access to this popular lake.

Immediately after that vote, Erin McCarta, the county's assistant lakes manager, said the Highlands County Department of Natural Resources will strenuously try to convince the county commissioners to say "no" to the recommendation.

"It is not our mission to give up public access to lakes," McCarta told the crowd of about 30 people at the advisory committee's meeting at the Agri-Civic Center.

Jack Richie, the Lake Denton committee member who made the motion to permanently close public access to the lake, said he is glad McCarta and the entire Natural Resources Department will take that stand.

"We expect you to do that as your job," Richie responded. He also said he hopes the Natural Resources Department can recommend a financially feasible and practical way to open safe public access to Lake Denton.

Lake Denton is rated among the top three lakes in Florida for water clarity, and it is the most popular scuba diving site not only in Highlands County but also in all of south central Florida.

"If we can find a good way to keep the boat ramp open, I'm all for it," Richie said. But, he added, the committee came to the conclusion that there is just not enough public land at Lake Denton to have any type of decent recreational facilities or public access.

Marc Valero may be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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