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AUGUST 3 - 9, 2010
Kendall voices back repeal of park fees
BY RICHARD YAGER
A
resolution repealing $5 holiday and weekend parking fees slated to begin Oct. 1 at six Miami-Dade parks has been proposed by Commissioner Javier D. Souto along with Commissioner Rebecca Sosa as co-sponsor. Designed to help offset service reductions caused by continuing county budget cuts, the initiation of metered parking was announced on July 19 for implementation at five Kendall area parks including A.D. Barnes, Tropical, Indian Hammocks, Kendall Soccer complex, Larry and Penny Thompson, as well as the soccer venue at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah. Souto disclosed that he successfully halted the Parks Department’s initial attempt to impose the tax during the July 4 weekend, an action he said was strongly opposed by the commission’s Recreation and Cultural Affairs Subcommittee. Action to consider repeal is scheduled for Sept. 9 when commissioners will review a predicted 12 to 15 percent increase in average property tax bills for fiscal 2010-11. “The last thing we need is for taxpayers to be burdened with an additional tax and for these parks to later become empty and subject to illegal activity,” Souto said. Closing parks to a four-day schedule “might be a better way to save operational costs rather than incurring parking fees,” said Miles E. Moss, president of Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations (KFHA). “With county employees already experiencing a 5 percent rollback of frozen salaries, a very real problem exists to find other revenues to maintain park operations at service levels we’re used to. Limiting park hours and days rather than adding user fees may be a better answer.” Doris Howe, Parks Department director
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FEES, page 4
Cop: Keep valuables out of sight in parked car
County to conduct hearings on budget BY LEE STEPHENS
M
Officer Javier Aluart details Miami-Dade Police Kendall District actions with Acting Capt. Gustavo Duarte (seated) at Citizens Advisory Committee on July 28.
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BY RICHARD YAGER
T
hefts from unlocked cars at neighborhood gas stations and malls run almost neck and neck with stealing the car itself, according to a veteran Miami-Dade Police Kendall District detective. “Displaying a purse or laptop in a parked car is a plain invitation to become a victim,” Det. Octavio Tellez advised members of the Citizens
Advisory Committee at a July 28 meeting. “That’s a special problem we have at neighborhood gas stations, when a housewife leaves a car unminded, even for just a minute, while paying for pumping gas.” A veteran of five year’s service in tough urban crime districts before transfering to the Kendall Station, Det. Tellez
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VALUABLES, page 4
iami-Dade County will conduct public hearings to explain the administration’s proposed budget, the proposed property tax increases, as well as other tax increases which include the controversial new fees for parking at county parks. All property owners in the county are facing a tax increase because the property tax rate is increased in the current proposal. Those whose property values have declined because of the collapse in the real estate market, may see their tax bills decline because of the lower assessed value of the commercial or residential property, but will not enjoy the benefit of the decline as much as they should because of the proposed increase in the tax rate from last year’s level. Those property owners who have lived in their homes 10 or more years and whose property values have been stable, will see their property taxes go up from 12 to 15 percent. Since they have homestead exemptions, they will not enjoy the benefit of a significant decline in real-estate values. There also are new controversial taxes like the $5 parking fee for use of county parks. The public hearings will be held throughout Miami-Dade County in compliance with legislation sponsored by Commissioner Javier Souto in 1994, who historically has been a vocal opponent of tax increases or new taxes. Under the county law, the public meetings are required to be held prior to the two September budget hearings at County Hall and at locations and times, which are accessible and convenient to the majority of residents in the county. They must allow for maximum participation by the diverse population. “I introduced this legislation to prevent
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BUDGET, page 4