County Budget Questions

May 23, 2003

An open letter to:

Cedar Key Beacon
Cedar Key News
Chiefland Citizen
Levy County Journal
The Newscaster
Williston Pioneer Sun News

The Honorable Nancy Bell
Levy County Commissioner
P.O. Box 310
Bronson, FL 32621

Dear Commissioner Bell:

As a Levy County resident, taxpayer, and voter, I am interested in my county government. Over the years I have regularly attended the Commission meetings and voiced my opinion on various issues. But the Commissioners meeting Tuesday night sent me home with a headache and a real concern about the future of this county.

It is no secret, and we have been told often enough, that funds which used to come to the county from the state will be drying up. Board members did the responsible thing when they held a workshop in February to identify potential revenue sources but nothing concrete has been presented since that time to address current or future budget shortfalls.

Those of us who attended the meeting Tuesday watched and listened while Commissioner Yearty presented three proposals for the Board to approve so that the public could comment. The deadline for approval for two of the three proposals is July 1 st. But the proposals were unpopular because they include that dreaded word "taxes" .

Yearty asked the Board to approve a $3,000 expenditure to have a Tallahassee law firm write an ordinance permitting the county to impose a local communications services tax which could bring in approximately $166,000 annually. You said no because you do not want to impose any new taxes. As a communications customer in the City of Chiefland, you have been paying this tax for more than a year!

Commissioner Bell, you made an issue of spending $3,000. Maybe if you would pay the county the $3,000 you owe in property taxes, the County could afford to spend $3,000 to receive $166,000. *

At an earlier Commissioner`s meeting, you would not agree to hear a request from EMS Director Paula Kennedy for permission to apply for a $17,000 training grant because it was not on the meeting agenda. How can this county afford to turn away free money?

You have asked the County department heads to cut their budgets and watch their spending. But since you have taken office, you have made numerous trips outside of the county. Why Is it necessary for two commissioners to attend the same workshop and generate twice as many expenses?

When you were asked if you had met with Financial Officer Danny Shipp or his assistant Sheila Rees to go over county finances and get a better grasp on the county`s financial picture, you stated that you did not need to meet with them, you did your own research on the Internet. The answers to Levy County`s financial problems are not on the Internet!
The answer is for personal agendas to be put aside, for all the Commissioners to pull together and not work against one another, and to make this county strong. After all, that is what you were elected to do.

Sincerely,

Ron Grant

Williston, FL 32696

* As of the close of business Friday, May 23, 2003, the Tax Collector`s Office had not received payment on parcel 00788-000-00 owned by Nancy J. Westbury and the current amount due is $3,139.77.