SEBRING — A low-income, senior citizen with a homestead house gets an extra tax break of $36.77 per year on property taxes under the low-income, senior exemption. That's based on Highlands County commissioners granting a $5,000 exemption under the "Save Our Seniors" tax break for low-income people age 65 and older. State law, though, allows counties to set this special exemption anywhere from zero to a maximum exemption of $50,0000 off taxable property value. At the $50,000 exemption level, the tax savings for the low-income, a senior homeowner with a homestead house would jump tenfold, up to $367.77 per year. ...more

February 23, 2008

Highlands County Commissioner Guy Maxcy wants his fellow commissioners to consider an economic stimulus package for the local business community. We like that idea, and are game for anything that eases the desperate situation a growing number of businesses are in. We fear, though, that there is little that can be done on this level. Let's hope that isn't the case. ...more

February 20, 2008

SEBRING — A Tampa-based bio-fuels refinery company told Highlands County commissioners their proposed $40 million plant in the southern end of the county would be virtually pollution- and problem-free, while providing an economic boon to local farmers. ...more

February 6, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners are not pleased with plans to hire three new top administrators at an extra cost of about $300,000 per year. At their meeting today, the five commissioners, three of whom must run for re-election this year, will consider hiring the first division director in the county's history. On Monday, at the county's annual "visioning session," Commissioners Don Bates, Guy Maxcy and Barbara Stewart said they were less than happy with the prospect of what Bates called "adding another layer of administration" to county government. The price tag to do that — adding three employees with the title of "division director" — will be between $190,000 at the low end, to $360,000 per year at the top end of the salary schedules. The county commission had created the new positions last year to increase efficiency. Three new people will be hired, while the fourth position has already gone to Rick Helms, who went from "assistant county administrator" to the new position of "assistant county administrator/director of the division of administrative services." ...more

February 5, 2008

Two of the most overpaid public servants the county has, Guy Maxcy and Carl Cool, have come out against Amendment One. Why? Because they will have a little less money to throw toward contractors and Realtors who are bound and determined to over-build the county at the expense of its citizens. They won't be able to throw our tax money around like the federal government does. Have they ever thought about cutting back on their spendthrift ways? No. They come up with ways to spend more of your tax money that will affect you for years to come. ...more

February 4, 2008

SEBRING — David Flowers, director of Highlands County's facilities management, was given a written reprimand late Thursday afternoon for his improper use of county instant messaging. ...more

January 31, 2008

SEBRING –– Highlands County's two longest serving public officials, one elected and the other appointed, are speaking out strongly against Amendment 1 on Tuesday's primary election ballot. "It doesn't fix the problem; it is not tax reform for the long term ... and it's just a Band Aid when what we need is complete major surgery on the way in which we tax property in Florida," said Guy Maxcy. With 16 years and counting on the county commission, he is by far the longest serving current county commissioner. "I am going to vote 'no' on this proposed state amendment because the amendment, as Commissioner Maxcy put it, is an attempt to take some options away from local government," said Carl Cool. "And, all of the inequities in the current property tax situation, this amendment would only increase and expand those inequities." ...more

January 25, 2008

SEBRING –– The Highlands County commissioners have decided to appoint a citizens review committee to give them advice on whether to raise, lower, suspend or even replace impact fees as a way to finance infrastructure. But how that committee will be chosen and what special interest groups it will represent remain far from settled. The big divide on how to constitute this committee became apparent at Tuesday's commissioners meeting, when commissioners Barbara Stewart and Guy Maxcy put forth opposing views. ...more

January 23, 2008

AVON PARK — Jeff Carlson, an incumbent who was expected to run for another term on the Sebring city council, pulled his name from consideration shortly before Friday's deadline. Carlson announced he intends to run for a seat with the Highlands County commission. All three incumbent commissioners qualified last week to seek re-election. A contested primary for county sheriff also became certain when Michael Rowan filed official papers to contest incumbent Susan Benton. ...more

January 20, 2008

SEBRING — Is Carl Cool thinking of challenging Barbara Stewart for county commissioner in District 1? He won't confirm the news tip, but asked three times on Thursday, he didn't deny it. "There are lots of rumors going around regarding people running for offices at this time of year, and all of them are unconfirmed at this time." But what about Cool? "I've not only heard that I was running, I've heard rumors about other people who might be running, and they are all unconfirmed as far as I know," Cool said. ...more

January 11, 2008