Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 8-25-15 Edition

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Senate Democratic Leader Receives Florida League Of Cities Top Honor
TALLAHASSEE – Senate Democratic Leader Arthe- nia Joyner (D-Tampa) has received the “Defender of Home Rule” award from the Florida League of Cities. It is the League’s highest tribute to legislative members.
“This award is being pre- sented to you because of your strong and consistent defense of municipal home rule issues, especially during the special legislative session,” wrote Matthew Surrency, the League’s President and Mayor of Hawthorne City.
Senator Joyner received the award last Saturday during the League’s 89th Annual Con- ference in Orlando.
“Lawmakers in Tallahas- see too often overlook the im- pact legislation they pass has on the towns and communities throughout Florida,” said Sen- ator Joyner. “But it is the
ARTHENIA JOYNER Senate Democratic Leader
local officials who are closest to the people, and the ones who best understand the conse- quences of top-down govern- ing. I sincerely thank the League for this prestigious honor, and remain committed to ensuring that their voices re- main a critical element of the legislative process.”
Commissioners Can’t Find Common Ground On Proposed Tax Increase
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On Wednesday, County Commissioners again dis- cussed the proposal of a 1 cent tax increase for transporta- tion. The proposal was origi- nally brought to the Board by HART and GoHillsborough, the two agencies responsible for the area’s public trans- portation system.
Commissioners discussed the proposal and some com- mented as to how did the re- quest go from a request for a 1⁄2 cent tax to a 1 cent tax.
According to County Ad- ministrator Mike Merrill, he and the others at a meeting over the weekend were com- piling a list of projects that could be funded by a half-cent sales tax increase. However during the discussion, Mer- rill said they began to realize a lot of the projects the public has requested wouldn’t be possible with the half cent in- crease.
Merrill said they will start asking citizens about the tax increase after they see what they will get and won’t get with the proposed half cent in- crease.
MIKE MERRILL
Commissioners were not pleased with consultant Beth Leytham sending out a press release Monday announcing a change without their approval.
Merrill apologized for the error, but that didn’t prevent Commissioners from being upset that he failed to keep them informed about discus- sions to go from a half cent to a full cent increase.
Connect Tampa Bay Exec- utive Director, Kevin Thur- man, said a half cent sales tax would raise $504 million for mass transit, or 43% of the $1.17 billion the tax would generate over 10 years.
However, if voters approve a full cent tax increase, the amount of new money going
to transit and trail would be 50% of the total. The addi- tional money would finance a more sturdy bus service and the start of a light rail system.
On Wednesday, Commis- sioners decided it would take more discussions, as well as input from a series of public meetings, before they decide which tax to approve before it is put on a referendum.
During Wednesday’s meet- ing, Commissioners were split, as some felt the full cent tax would never be approved by voters. Other Commissioners felt after voters are shown what they can and cannot get with the half cent tax increase proposal, they won’t have a problem approving it.
For voters, the referendum would appear on the Novem- ber 2016 ballot.
If the referendum suc- ceeds, the additional funds would address the county’s current $170 million backlog of road and bridge mainte- nance by dedicating $840 mil- lion to maintenance (23.8 percent of the total) over 30 years. An additional $139 mil- lion would fund the construc- tion of bike lanes and sidewalks (3.9 percent).
Senator Files Bill To Prohibit Display Of Confederate Flag
Florida Senator Geral- dine F. Thompson has filed legislation that will prohibit the display of the Confederate flag and emblems on any building or property owned or leased by the state, a county, a munici- pality, or any governmental unit of the state.
“In Walton County and many other locations in Florida, officials still fly the Confederate flag proudly,” said Sen. Thompson, who repre- sents Orlando’s District 12. Last week, the Greater Talla- hassee Chamber of Commerce decided not to hold a long- scheduled conference in Wal- ton County next year due to the county’s failure to remove a Confederate flag from its court- house.
“If enacted, this bill will re- quire State, county, and local municipalities to remove the flag off their properties. We can’t wait on them to make good faith decisions,” she said.
The Confederate flag is still problematic, Senator Thompson said, citing the
fact that George Zimmer- man recently proposed selling prints of a Confederate flag painting.
Allegedly, a percentage of the proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club and a Florida gun store owner who is facing a lawsuit after declaring his business “Muslim free.” Offi- cials with the Boys and Girls Club say they will accept no funds from Zimmerman.
The bill has been filed for the 2016 legislative session, which begins in January.
SENATOR GERALDINE F. THOMPSON
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015