TAX ON TAX ON TRASH
When you receive your property tax bill you will see that Bert Fish medical Center has raised its mileage rate and is taking more out of your paycheck. One million ($1,000,000) or so of that money will be paid to the City for its Community Redevelopment Agency. HELLO! This is money collected under a taxing authority to treat indigent patients. What does that have to do with the CRA? Does it provide medical treatment to anyone? We believe the City used the money to buy the unneeded Esther Street property, and for an unnecessary inflated price to boot. Hey, we hope that someone in town will challenge this in court as being outside the scope of its taxing authority. Maybe the Bert Fish Board of Directors could file such a suit or at least seek to change the designation that lets the City get away with it.
August 28th, 2008
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1. We cannot seem to get it straight. We referred to the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker as basis for the term “yellow bellied” to express disdain for Mayor Mackay, City Manger Hagood, Chief of Police Pagano, and Commander Drossman for refusing to be interviewed by Channel 9 TV (LINK). Well there are turtles, marmots, sliders and the list goes on and on of yellow bellied everything. But it seems that the derisive term is that of a Yellow-dog which does nothing except turn tail when challenged in any manner. A dog and a coward. LINK. The yellow bellied term is not descriptive of plumage or fur, but describes cowardice. We are sorry to have referred to that little sapsucker.
2. We believe it is our duty to emphasize the need for honesty in our local government. It does not cut it to take $1.1 million out of reserves and label $500,000 of it as just money from the Sanitation fund. La La land with your money and La La land with the English language. As we have said before, the way we see it, a reserve fund is a reserve fund (Sanitation reserves), a tax is a tax (trash taxes), a subsidy should not be disguised as a management fee (MDC), and buying equipment for a favored City enterprise is spending money for a business that would be supplied by the private sector if there were a need and a buck could be made.
W-2S REVISITED
The W-2's published over the last few weeks are again presented this week as an EXCEL file so that you can manipulate the data as you wish. Additionally, we provide a number of analyses regarding pay and benefits. We have added charts in columns showing each employee and the percentage of increase that includes the benefit package for each employee.
“Best Blog of the Week”
(Edited for grammar and punctuation)
A POTPOURRI OF CITIZEN COMMENTS IS
AGAIN PROVIDED THIS WEEK IN ORDER
FOR YOU TO GET IN TUNE WITH THE
MOOD OF OUR READERS
Answer to last week's Shadow quiz regarding differences between Utility Commission and City salary scales is interesting - "They will jawbone about it but nothing will happen." That is just what happened with the new city budget - they jawboned about it but nothing happened (except increasing the Police Department's budget for gasoline).
What hogwash Anglers Club comments are by Mayor Silly. The city commission thought nothing of rezoning the entire beach height and rebuild restrictions. City attorney told them no you will not win in court. George Beazley and Glenn Storch are working up cases right now. Randy and his crowd of environmental Nazi’s laugh it off. BUT somehow they can't take the Anglers Club Lease to task! Screwing the many to assist the few is the Charm here in NSB.
No surprise abusive treatment of business community continues unabated. No stone is left unturned to torture our tax base. Homeowners and business folks should rise up and stone city hall. Where is the worthless Chamber NOT for Commerce? The commission can't stop losing money everywhere and yet they have time to tread on the toes of our hard working citizens. City Charter must promote kicking them when they are down!
Pretty funny! How small your world must be. Pointing out that a blog will not endanger anyone or that cops in NSB don't have a dangerous job seem venomous to you? Goodness it’s a statistical fact! I left off the part about 1 Lt for 2.6 officers. I left off the waste of citizens patrol expense in an age where cell phones are everywhere to call in crimes. I didn't even go with good cop / bad cop. I forgot Edgewater PD working with half the expense of NSB PD. No it’s about performance and reality not any personal attitudes. Plenty of cops are good and some are bad. Your support of their waste and fanatical ramblings about danger is silly.
When you look at the Public Safety SPENDING in the City's Budget, you would assume you are actually receiving HIGHER LEVELS OF SERVICE from Public Safety ( Fire and Police service) But, in reality, you are really receiving the same service, or less service ( due to population growth) then you did last year! Now the question is WHY? Why is our Police Department and Fire Department costing more this year? ANSWER: LABOR COSTS! Including salaries, and pensions. BUT; The Commission's excuse for this phenomenon is HIGHER GAS PRICES......And here's why: They can't DO anything about higher gas prices.............but they can DO something about higher Labor costs ( including pension costs) BUT THEY DON'T WANT TOO! ....BUT WHY IS THAT? ANSWER: "A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul"..........and Randy, the Mayor , and Lynne, all DEPEND ON THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY'S UNIONS! ( Paul) SO THEY WILL CONTINUE TO ROB "PETER", MEANING "US"; THE TAXPAYERS............GET IT?
New talking points on city hotel zoning seems to be designed to protect all good buddies on N Causeway. The documentation speaks about "core" city needing density for hotels but has no mention of North Causeway. Just another plan to protect the / old high school / MDC / anglers club / ski club. What kind of an idiot thinks visitors would rather stay at a hotel on Canal St. instead of on Indian River at MDC site? At one time three hotel groups were looking at the property. Worthless chamber not for commerce is putting out another red herring to protect the favored. I hope I'm wrong.
Blunders galore in Volusia Religiously, I read the News-Journal. For 31 years, I've lived in and/ or owned property in Volusia County. The economy boomed when I moved to the area. Since then, I've watched one colossal, financial blunder after another, and it never seems to change. It goes all the way back to the closing of the beach and then turning it over to the county. Every financial blunder in Volusia County, practically, can be traced to that event. Right after that, the county subsidized building the Adam's Mark hotel, which was a huge financial drain for years. Then there was the Ocean Center, which forever operated in the red. Somewhere in the midst of all this mess came the Ocean Walk Shoppers, which are fading fast (as predicted), but it had to be done, so that we could get rid of those long-time, successful businesses on the Boardwalk (or Boardwalk, as it's so often incorrectly called). Shall we also include the Peabody Auditorium, a local treasure which was neglected for so many years; the cost to repair it finally became very prohibitive? Let's not forget the big water park which was going to save the entire county! Then came turning the hotels into condos, effectively deterring visiting tourists for our once-booming special event season, which was buffaloed in every possible way, by elected officials, for many years. It has finally nearly died a natural death, even though Bike Week, alone, provides 12 percent of the employment in Volusia County. Throughout all of this, utility rates have risen to dramatic heights, as have property taxes and we won't even discuss the skyrocketing rates for homeowners insurance. Now, we have The News-Journal Center sliding down the toilet, creating yet another drain on the taxpayers in this ill-run community. It was built in the first place, where it had no business being, but there it is. The Harley-Davidson kingdom of Bruce O. Rossmeyer was run out of Daytona Beach by broken promises, as was the thriving business of Carl D. and Diane A. Morrow (Carl's Speed Shop) and of course, property values are plunging much more rapidly than they have since the Great Depression. It's far worse here in Florida than it is in most other states, not surprisingly. But are the taxes going downward? No, of course not! An awfully lot of fuzzy math is used in Florida politics. Be sure to carefully read the fine print on Amendment 1!
DEAR JOHN
We know of the limited resources available to John Hagood, the City Manager, and to his inability to get all of the important letters written that he would like to send. So we decided to help him and provide him drafts that will simplify his tasks and free him up for more important tasks.
To: Mayor Mackay
From John Hagood
Re: Golf Course
The plan to reduce the drain on the City treasury by making the Municipal Golf Course members pay a larger portion of the current subsidy was unfortunately taken off the Agenda last week. All the plan does is to stop the members from hogging all the best tee times and raise their cost for playing a round to about 40% of the out of pocket costs. It prevents some of them from playing a round for $3 or $4 dollars. Given the downturn in the economy, the high cost of gas, and the bad shape of the Municipal Golf Course, this is costing us about $1,500 a day. I figure that by your next regularly scheduled meeting we will be in the hole for another $21,000 (14 days X $1,500). I know this is small change compared to not telling the nine (9) retired firefighters that they will no longer be paid a salary along with their retirement, but if we at least cut back here Randy and Jack would have more money to throw away on the Marine Discovery Center. Unless you tell me otherwise, I will put it back on the agenda for next week.
John
Plaskett—Flying Saucers and Witches
Commissioner Plaskett on U-Tube explaining her cure by flying saucers. LINK . We would also like her to explain seeing witches flying over a house on Riverside Drive in Edgewater. Look, the Shadow claims no medical expertise and we certainly have no experience with or knowledge of flying saucers that show up to cure cancer patients or witches that fly over houses in Edgewater. We have taken the liberty to Google “T cell lymphoma” and we have the LINK below: This terrible disease is a non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Merely the thought of these diseases is frightening, and we are happy for anyone who survives this diagnosis. However, we believe the disturbing story is not her illness, but the story of how she was cured, and her encounter with witches flying over houses just a couple of years ago.
NOTES
1. We decided to profile the guy who has been posting junk on our Blog. We now know that this person does not like the publisher and, let’s call him George, that he may have had a girlfriend with a female disease that most people do not talk about in public. In all likelihood he works an early shift at the police department (the garbage shows up between 5 AM and 6 AM and a little after 6 PM—before and after a 12 hour shift somewhere) is trying to curry favor with his overpaid bosses, and wants a promotion to Commander someday, even though he has had a problematic past that makes this unlikely. Now George has never mentally or socially matured and believes avoiding the fact that our police department could be replaced by 20 or so sworn Volusia County Sheriff Deputies, at about half or two-thirds of its current cost (like $3 or $4 million instead of $6.8 million) can be answered by childish attacks. We think not. George is an annoyance, but since George really hurts his own cause, we have left him and his childish antics alone. However, like most annoyance, such as flies and mosquitoes, eventually you swat them down and they are, like, gone.
2. We do not and cannot understand why the government at any level tries to compete with private business. They always screw it up. It is not only unfair, but invariably the government loses money and must subsidize its operation, with your money. It weakens private business, or forces them to go out of business. Calling it ecotourism is a gimmick to garner your support by tying it to the environment so they can tug at your heartstrings. However, it is no different in concept than charging for tee times or golf carts at the Municipal Golf Course. We have City employees promoting golf and/or ecotourism. At the Golf course they are selling golf rounds for a significant loss because the Muni’s cost is double that of either Hidden Lakes or Turnbull Bay, and all three are struggling to stay afloat financially. Of course, our Municipal course does not have to worry because the City subsidizes them, by the Mayor’s own admission, to the tune of $1000 per day. Who will bail out the private sector courses, Hidden Lakes and Turnbull Bay? Remember, these two private businesses pay both property and other taxes to the City, County, State, and Federal governments. The facts and experience notwithstanding, the deluge of revenue they make from ecotourism will subsidize the golf members, right? Count on it!
3. The Marine Discover Center cannot generate enough revenue to cover expenses, yet the City, with your money, is providing a subsidy of $84,000. And if that is not enough from the NSB land of OZ, the City is building a kayak shed on City property, and the kayaks will be housed on that City property in the City built shed ($18,000—see LINK) at Indian River Lagoon Park. According to the City, the money to build this shed was from “impact fees”. The Marine Development Center, AKA the Richenberg-Grasty Trust Association, will then provide these City kayaks housed on City property to be used by the MDC for “ecotourism”. Schedules and fees can be found on their web-site. By the way, according to the City, the MDC is not subsidized, it is paid a “management” fee for managing the operation of the two boats that take visitors to Ponce Inlet. La La land with your money and La La land with the English language. The way we see it, a reserve fund is a reserve fund (Sanitation reserves), a tax is a tax (trash taxes), a subsidy should not be called a management contract (MDC), and buying equipment for a favored City enterprise is spending money for a business that would be supplied by the private sector if there were a need and a buck could be made.
SOUTHEAST VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The City of New Smyrna Beach is apparently building the future home of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Southeast Volusia headquarters. We think it is marvelous to build a structure centrally located for Oak Hill, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange. Now since it is being built for a force, we suspect, of at least another 20 employees, it should be the right size for what we need based on the sworn officer component Sheriff Johnson is now providing Deltona. He provides them with 77 sworn officers for about 90,000 residents, and he would need about 85-90 to serve the about 100,000 residents of Southeast Volusia. Your tax money at work! This building is just fine for the Sheriff’s needs.
State’s Attorney
There are many reasons for voting for or against an incumbent States Attorney for Flagler and Volusia County. We do not believe that one of the reasons is that the incumbent charged some of the officers at the Flagler County Sheriff’s office with abuse and brutality based upon movie photographs that were widely distributed. LINK. But apparently that is the reason why some the police fraternal orders and unions are denying him their endorsement and supporting his opponent. It is not a good reason to vote against him.
People want a prosecutor who works “with” the police. People do not want a prosecutor who works “for” the police unions. [If you are in front of conservative business men or educated people] The teamsters’ union represents many police departments. Yes, the Jimmy Hoffa mob connected union. The unions have been very effective in raising pay and benefits for police officers. Most police officers with a two year criminal justice degree from the community college make more than beginning prosecutors who where honors graduated from college and have been to three years of law school. Police officers make more than school teachers and receive full retirement after 20 years of service (in their early 40’s). The unions have been very effective in putting their candidates on the small town city commissions and getting city managers and city officials fired. Now the Unions are trying to go for the grand prize and put their man in as state attorney. When the police and the state attorney become one there are no checks and balances in the system. There may be reasons you do not like the incumbent, John Tanner, but his position on police abuse should not be one of them. Nor, in this election, should the support of his opponent by the police unions be considered as a desirable.
READ IT AND WEEP
Commissioners Year Taxable value Approximate Tax (.20 mills)
Grasty 2007 $25,000 $550
Hathaway “ $67,947 $1,300
Mackay “ $134,000 $2,700
Plaskett “ $160, 000 $2,900
Richenberg “ $156,000 $3,100
A look at 2008 and a comparison
Commissioner Assessed Value Just value Taxable Value Tax
C. Grasty *
2007-$55,985 $134,000 $25,985$550
2007-$55,985 $134,000 $25,985$550 2008-$54,000 + ? -0- -0-
C. Hathaway 2007-$155,512 $67,947 $1,300
2008-$152,000 ? $42,000 $840M. Mackay 2007-$130,149 $361,438 $105,000 $2,110
$361,438 $105,000 $2,110 2008-$130,149 ? $109,000 $2,200C. Plaskett 2007-$160,000 $300,700 $185,000 $2,900
2008- $160,000 ? $130,000 $2,600
C. Richenberg 2007- $181,000 $787,392 $56,000 $3,100
2008- $181,000 ? $131,000 $2,620The Mayor and her husband and Rakowski and Hagood own other property in the City, and Richenberg owns property in Edgewater. But if one only looks at the principal residences, the tables above graphically depicts how little they have at stake compared to the average homeowner.
We believe the reason they do not care is because they are trying to redistribute your money to friends and relatives. They want to buy the old boys' network and those that have supported them, and punish anyone who does not share their view of what is best for the City of New Smyrna Beach. Why will they not offer slips at the City Marina to the highest bidders? Why will they do nothing about the red ink Municipal Golf Course? Why have they not sought to set aside the Anglers’ Club lease? Why are they spending $100,000 on an airport noise study to placate a few voters who moved there fifty years after the airport was built? And just think, while we are the same size as Edgewater, we have double the number of police but they function with only a police chief for their 34 personnel and not four commanders. We have a supervisory ratio of 1:3. Ridiculous!
No matter what she says, we believe Sally uses a kitchen spoon or spatula when she considers financial matters instead of a sharp pencil. They do not pay any significant property tax, you do.
*Assumes 2% reduction in current appraised value of $134, 000 and a $50,000 Homestead exemption. We also are applying a mill rate of .20 to both the 2007 and 2008 years. The question marks in the second table are because the just value is not known as of this date. All of these figures are from Volusia County Tax appraisers web pages. s.
WELFARE, NSB STYLE
Welfare on the national scene is easy. Billions for farmers, more billions for oil companies, billions for banks, and a few billion in earmarks for bridges to nowhere. For the most part those who take the billions seem to eschew welfare.
On the local scene however, we are by comparison, pikers. The Anglers Club is a case of corporate corporate welfare. They do not pay their fair share of taxes or rent, and whine when it is suggested that they do not. The Municipal Golf Course is a case of public welfare, and its members, we are not talking about the students and college kids, but the members who hog the good tee times, and whine when it is suggested that the rest of us cannot understand why they get any subsidy at all. The Chamber of Commerce that has for many years occupied a City building free of charge, balks at paying a fair rent, makes no repairs to that building, and is trying to wheedle money out of the city to repair the building they did not maintain. Is it welfare to pay the Chief Executive Officer at Bert Fish Hospital more than the County and City Managers? We think the difference is more akin to a poor expenditure of our tax money than a reward for exemplary performance as a manager. We could go on and on. However, we will spare you. The recipients do not think they are on welfare. But when you look at the Anglers Club, or the Golf Course, or the Chamber of Commerce, and the top officials at Bert Fish Hospital can you call it anything else? And we do not appreciate the whining! It’s very wimpish.
MILITARY BUILDING TO THE ANGLERS CLUB
The following post may represent an interesting start to unravel how the Anglers Club obtained City property on a lease that only rents a piece of land bordering the Intracoastal.
Jake Sunday, 8/10/08, 4:02 PM . The Anglers club bldg. was the Navy Base in New Smyrna Beach during WW II. They had " Crash" boats at the base to go out and patrol and look for "Lost" and downed aviators. There was the naval air station in Daytona, Deland and Sanford. Banana River naval Air station lives on today as Patrick Air Force base. The biggest boat at New Smyrna was a 40' " Higgins built crash boat. Most military bases are turned over to city, county governments...Not Private clubs. From:BeachSide”
The material below is from the Volusia County Appraisal Office
(look on property under ‘2 Causeway’)):
B U I L D I N G R E F I N E M E N T S
Description# of UnitsUnit Type
# of UnitsUnit TypeBaths, 2-Fixture1UB
1UBBaths, 4-Fixture1UB
1UBExtra Fixture 3UB
3UBSection #Wall# OfYearGroundInteriorSprinkler AC?
Wall# OfYearGroundInteriorSprinkler AC? Height Stories Built Floor Area Finish(es) 14 14.00 1 1940 711 Wood Deck No No
14.00 1 1940 711 Wood Deck No No21 14.00 1 1940 3372Club-Lodge-Hall No No
14.00 1 1940 3372Club-Lodge-Hall No No (superior)22 14.00 1 1940 24 Canopy No No
14.00 1 1940 24 Canopy No NoThe building was built in 1940, four years before the current $25 lease and if included in the original lease the property was not leased at fair market value in 1944. The Anglers Club did not build this improvement and we do not know how they got to use it for free for the last 65 years. A reading of the original lease does not seem on its face to include any property on the raw land. In other words, the building is not described nor stated that it is being leased. If we accept that, Morgan Gilreath, the Volusia County Appraiser, had a pre-2008 statement of the building and a small tool shed valued for $244,000. We thought that was low, but let us accept it as the value of the building. The new evaluation seems to assess the value of the docks, both covered and uncovered as only about $950,000. Our analysis that the appraiser must visit this property again next year is based upon the fact that two years ago the City spent $1,600,000 to redo its City marina with fewer uncovered slips as opposed to the recently repaired covered boat slips at the Anglers Club. In our view, this 2008 appraisal is abysmally low. However, we think Morgan Gilreath made a good start.
Now a fair market value lease at 10% on a $244,000 structure would be $24,000 a year. On a “best use” that would be a good place for Norwood’s if it should choose to move. On the water, and plenty of parking. Or we could give them a break and only charge by the square foot. Rental of 3372 square feet at only $8 a square foot is about $27,000. Hey John, before we forget, how are the fair rent negotiations for the Chamber of Commerce building on Canal coming along?
LET THEM EAT GRITS!
“City” owned kayaks and building for Marine Discovery Center-- $40,000 subsidy;
“Management Contract” for Marine Discovery Center--$84,000 subsidy;
$7.6 million dollar police station plus another million in furniture;
$5+ million dollar fire station, granite kitchen counters, stainless appliances;
$1.2 million from the reserves year after year;
What do you do when the money runs out?
Tax the peasants to take care of the employee aristocracy;
Tax the peasants to pay for “Eco-tourism”;Tax the peasants to build the Police Palace;Tax the peasants to build the Fire Palace;Deficits, Deficits, Deficits, Spend, Spend, Spend, is there no end?
THE ANGLERS CLUB DIRGE— LITTLE OLE US
We know that Anglers Club members and their supporters all over town are complaining that they have been treated unfairly and singled out for unwarranted attention. They denigrate the Shadow, suggest hidden agendas from those that publish anything about them, and just want to be left alone. Meanwhile, John “Q” public who is struggling to pay his bloated utility bill and property taxes and would like to stop being overcharged by a rapacious city tax machine that takes his money and does not tax his rich neighbor. For 75 years the Anglers Club members, most of the original members are dead, have used their unearned wealth flowing from this ridiculous arrangement to feed off their poorer neighbors. We think, they complain too much. Could it be they experience a slight feeling of guilt for having received this special “Tax” treatment? It occurred to us that if the membership had been or will hopefully so be obligated to pay the fair market rent and taxes on this property, that these experienced and knowledgeable citizens would be more involved in assuring the our elected officials were more competent. We believe their sage guidance on any number of issues, particularly, finance, would provide a great and valued service to the City of New Smyrna Beach.
We thought you would be interested in their public filing of income last year:
ANGLERS YACHT CLUB INC
350 N CAUSEWAY NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL, 32169-5233 Employee Identification Number: 590996113 Classification: Pleasure, Recreational, or Social Club Ruling Date: December 1975 Deductions: Contributions are not deductible Foundation Type: All organizations except 501(c)(3) Activity: Hunting or fishing club Organization Type: Corporation Latest Return Filed: December 2005 Filing Requirement: 990 - All other or 990EZ return. No 990PF return. Fiscal Year End Date: December Asset Amount: $546,614 Income Amount: $205,592 Form 990 Revenue Amount: $205,592
Assuming all of that revenue was from members who had boat slips, which we are sure it is not, that would be several thousands of dollars less per slip than the guy at the City Marina is paying for an un-covered slip. On top of that, it would easily support, even at the discount to their members, a $20,000 lease payment to the City.
In sum, we believe the Anglers Club members take unfair advantage of their neighbors, are whiners because their cozy and secretive goings on have been exposed. They are concerned that their neighbors may no longer see them as angels in the community sitting at the right hand of God because they provide one or more scholarships to local high school graduates. The Shadow sleeps well at night, but we do not know how some of them manage.
Questions Unanswered by The City
The Shadow is an inquisitive animal, sometimes like a bear and sometimes like a ferret. The Shadow asks questions, usually knowing the likely answer before asking the question. Information comes in sometimes because of a concerned informer and sometimes because deductively there is unlikely to be an explanation that is at odds with human nature. We do not know if the current Mayor is with it enough to know that she should have lawyers give her opinions in writing which is the only way she can be sure that a few weasel words were not inserted in a casual oral answer. A few words here and there can reverse the thrust of what a Commissioner thinks he or she might have said when reviewed the day after a meeting. But then again, Dame Mackay did tell someone at the grocery store that the City lawyer did not think the Anglers Club lease could be set aside. We asked for a copy of the legal memorandum, and we also asked for any other memoranda that might have been written about that club or its lease. After a week, NADA, although we have been promised that we will receive them, we have nothing in hand. We thought at the least there would be a memorandum advising the prior Mayor about the lease they entered into in 2005 (They gave the Shadow a copy of the lease promptly). So far, NADA as to any legal memoranda. We think one might have been written by Ms. Brewer (now Roberts) who was the City Attorney back in the 1980s. Of course the spokesperson for the Anglers Club was her husband at the time so maybe he has a copy of what we think she may have written.
Being inquisitive we have also been concerned that we are not getting the real skinny on the law suits against the City and how the City has resolved them. So we asked for the interim list of pending and settled cases two weeks ago. Remember the last time we asked, we found that they settled a suit for $12,500 where someone had alleged that Commander Drossman had the plaintiff arrested without cause and had treated him harshly. So, since we heard that there was another police case still floating about, it seemed prudent to ask again. We received the list but now we must look at the underlying files and read the complaints since there is no summary as to the contents.
Last Monday we asked for the invoices of any trip to New York by Commander Drossman, allegedly for official training. One of our esteemed readers suggested it was an award for sending out a political and arguably racist E-mail but we have no knowledge of whether he even was on a trip or who paid. So we asked. We do have a copy of the invoice for the purchase of kayaks by the City, and have asked whether this is paid for out of the grant to the Marine Development Center or is extra. We were subsequently informed that it was paid for out of “impact fees”, would be owned by the City but used by the MDC. We also have never figured out why these boats were bought since there is a business on Flagler and also at JB’s that rent kayaks and, we are certain, would be willing to establish a concession for eco-tourism services. Accordingly, this new kayak venture never should have been proposed and should not be subsidized.
So we ask questions,…. they pony up the information, sometimes reluctantly. Sometimes not at all.
We asked for the exact of the cost of the DROP ( Deferred Retirement Optional Program) for the nine (9) senior fire department personnel with over 25 years of service. They are retired, simple and plain. RETIRED. They can be replaced with new employees at what the Shadow thinks is less than half of their current salaries. No, there are rules that can be cited they say that prohibit the taxpayers from being told what they are earning in retirement. Too bad Cindy, we figured it out from the formulae and applied it to the salary in the W-2s. As a game, you our readers can play at home, add up the last five years of pay from the W-2s, divide by five for the average pay in the last five years, multiply the number of years of service by three, and take that as the percentage of pay to the date of retirement to give the percentage. C’mon, you can do the math.
