County To Consider Local Stimulus Plan

SEBRING - Ever since a citizens advisory committee on impact fees was proposed, one rumor has swirled around it - that some members would recommend suspending impact fees as a financial incentive to kick start the sluggish building industry.

That rumor never was verified, but it doesn't matter now.

Suspending impact fees, and suspending building permit fees, too, will be discussed openly at the top level of county government as a means to lift up the local economy.

County Commissioner Guy Maxcy guaranteed that will happen Tuesday when he brought the idea up at the county commission meeting.

Many of the county commissioners' "constituents," including the "business community," are "teetering on the brink of financial failure," Maxcy said.

The longest-serving county commissioner called for a county economic "stimulus plan" designed to "re-energize" the local economy.

Two keys to stimulating the economy, Maxcy said, would be suspending impact fees and suspending building permit fees. He also recommended "fast-tracking" the design and bidding processes to start construction as soon as possible on the county's new Veterans Services Office.

The new veterans building will cost only about $400,000, but, Maxcy said, something must be done to stimulate the Highlands County economy, which depends largely upon new home and commercial construction.

As another action to stimulate the economy and help residents who are struggling financially, Maxcy also called for raising the county's $5,000 property tax exemption for low-income, senior citizen, homestead homeowners. That $5,000 exemption is one-tenth of the $50,000 allowed under the statewide "Save Our Seniors" constitutional amendment.

Commissioners didn't address Maxcy's call for a "stimulus" plan on Tuesday because they got bogged down discussing two other points he made: a need for county employees to provide more timely and friendlier service to the public; and initiating a hiring freeze that would delay hiring the new public works and public safety division directors.

After discussion, commissioners agreed to go ahead with plans to hire the last two division directors. The five finalists for the two top-pay and top-level management jobs include four current county employees and one outsider.

Maxcy said he is going to raise the issue of a stimulus plan again, probably at next week's commission meeting, and he's going to have people from the public speaking up for such a move.

"I think - I can't say I know today, but I think, and I will know soon - that there will be people from the public speaking on behalf of a stimulus plan," Maxcy said.

Commissioner Don Bates thanked Maxcy for raising the three issues and said he is more than willing to discuss them.

"I accept your challenge to discuss them, today or in a new meeting," Bates said.

Commissioner Barbara Stewart also called for a full discussion in the near future.

"I think you hit upon some really important things, Commissioner Maxcy," Stewart said.

Maxcy said he had no argument with turning down his idea of not hiring the last two division directors. But, he said, he's going to make sure that a county economic stimulus plan is considered.

In other action, commissioners:

- Confirmed former Citrus County Administrator June Fisher as the new division director for community services; and

- Learned that the new Veterans Services Office building will have a decommissioned naval airplane instead of a decommissioned howitzer cannon as a patriotic decoration on its front lawn.

Veterans Services Officer Joseph Dionne said the Army pulled back on plans to give Highlands County a howitzer because these cannons are still being used in wars around the world. As a result, the Army is now selling them to foreign governments instead of giving them to local governments.

With the cannon out of the picture, the Navy is offering a retired airplane. What kind of naval plane the county will receive has not been determined yet.