9/27/1979 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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CHAIRMAN WODTKE EXPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS ACTION IS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF DUAL TAXATION. WE ARE PAYING THE CITY OF VERO BEACH $300,000 FOR FIRE PROTECTION, AND ALSO PAYING THROUGH COUNTY TAXES. HE STATED THAT THE DISTRICTS COULDN'T GET SET UP IN TIME, SO IT IS GOING TO GO TO REFERENDUM IN MARCH;, AND THIS IS AN INTERIM TYPE OF THING. MRS. THOMAS ASKED WHY THIS MATTER IS SO URGENT IT CANNOT WAIT UNTIL REFERENDUM IN MARCH. CHAIRMAN WODTKE THEN EXPLAINED THE DUAL TAXATION SITUATION, AND COMMISSIONER SIEBERT INTERJECTED THAT THE COUNTY HAS BEEN SUED BY ONE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES DUE TO THE DUAL`TAXATION. COMMISSIONER LYONS STATED THAT AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF VERO BEACH, HE WAS PAYING TWICE, AND THIS COMES CLOSER TO GETTING SOME EQUALITY FOR WHAT WE HAD BEFORE. HE EMPHASIZED THAT THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP ON THE WAY TO GETTING IT SORTED OUT. MRS. THOMAS THEN ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE IS A REFERENDUM IN MARCH AND IT DOES NOT PASS. CHAIRMAN WODTKE STATED THAT THE COUNTY CANNOT SET UP A TAXING DISTRICT WITHIN A MUNICIPALITY; BUT CAN SET UP A TAXING DISTRICT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA ONLY IN THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY, AND FUND IT. HE CONTINUED THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY VOLUNTEER CITY FIRE DEPARTMENTS; THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF VERO BEACH IS A PAID MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT. CHAIRMAN WODTKE EXPLAINED THAT A GREAT DEAL WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT THE VOLUNTEER GROUPS WANT TO DO. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT SAID IT IS VERY COMPLICATED BUT IT WAS HIS OPINION THAT IF THAT REFERENDUM FOR THE TAXING DISTRICT DOES NOT PASS IN THE NORTH COUNTY, IT WOULD COST THE CITIZENS MORE FOR FIRE SERVICE IF THEY LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. CHAIRMAN WODTKE SAID IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE A TOTAL COUNTY UNINCORPORATED FIRE DISTRICT - WE WOULD PROBABLY END UP WITH SOME COUNTY -PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE SOUTH AND SOME VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NORTH, AND ONE DISTRICT RAISING ALL THE FUNDS. SEP 2 71979 21 evoa 41Fm E 041