Thursday, March 19, 2009

Monroe County no longer will share a portion of the fuel taxes it collects with Florida Keys cities, but has not decided whether to increase fuel taxes by 6 cents.

The Monroe County Commission at its meeting Wednesday agreed 4-1 to keep all of the 2-cent tax, called a constitutional gas tax, but postponed voting on increasing the overall tax.

The 2005 tax-sharing agreements expire on July 1, but the county will pay the cities through the end of the fiscal year in September because the cities budgeted based on receiving the money.

The constitutional gas tax generated almost $2.5 million last year. The county will receive the largest portion, $1.9 million, and give -- for the last time -- $287,099 to Marathon, $154,345 to Islamorada, $38,149 to Key Colony Beach and $11,873 to Layton.

County Mayor George Neugent, a commissioner when the agreements were signed in 2005, has long opposed them, saying it robs the county of much-needed money. The lone dissenter, Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro, argued the county should share the money, as it is used for much-needed road and bridge projects.

For more than a year, county staff has been sounding an alarm about the nearly tapped road and bridge repair fund for 28 county bridges and 389 miles of county roads. Public Works Director Dent Pierce repeatedly has cited the fact that many bridges were built in the 1960s -- and that they have a life span of about 50 years.

By not sharing the tax, the county would not have to raise taxes as much, Neugent argued.

Combining the constitutional gas tax and a local option gas tax, the county collects 9 cents per gallon for gasoline and 10 cents per gallon for diesel, which generated $5.8 million last year. A 6-cent increase would generate another $1.25 million.

In other business, the commission on Wednesday:

• Promoted Acting Planning Director Townsley Schwab to the position permanently.

The board last month declined to approve hiring former state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) planner and current Corpus Christi, Texas, Assistant City Manager Robert Nix.

He would have received an employment package of $143,000 in salary and benefits. Schwab will receive $126,750 -- a $97,500 annual salary plus benefits.

• Rescinded a proposed land use rule that DCA rejected last year. The proposal would have allowed an increase in the number of housing units adjacent to Boca Chica Field at Naval Air Station Key West. Navy officials objected to the proposal because it would place more homes near the airfield, where they would be subjected to loud aircraft noise and increased risk of aviation accidents.

• Passed a resolution opposing state legislation that would strip the clerks of court, such as Danny Kolhage in Monroe County, of some duties, including setting, collecting and distributing fines and fees they then turn over to judges. State court administrators would do the job instead.

Kolhage argued that eliminating the middle man will give the impression of "cash register justice," as judges would set and collect the money that funds their and their staffs' salaries.

tohara@keysnews.com