Monday, September 28, 2009

Florida Keys property owners will not end up paying more for the sheriff's $2.4 million emergency helicopter services after all.

The owners of property, whether in unincorporated Monroe County or one of its five municipalities, will pay $9 for every $100,000 of assessed value, meaning the owner of a home appraised at $500,000 would pay $45 a year for Trauma Star.

The Monroe County Commission had proposed increasing the cost to $15 to make it more equitable for Key Largo property owners in the Upper Keys Health Care Taxing District, who essentially are paying twice.

The district taxed them for emergency helicopter services provided by Miami-Dade Air Rescue between 1988 and 1994, and continues to operate on the $1.7 million surplus that built up in that time.

"We can possibly go on for another six or seven years with the money we collected back in the early 1990s," said Pan Johnson, who runs the district, adding that the rebuilt 18-Mile Stretch also has cut down on crashes.

The plan to spread the cost more evenly failed, however, because the Key Largo Fire-EMS District declined and Layton was the only municipality that passed an ordinance to opt into the Municipal Service Taxing Units [MSTU], making it cost prohibitive for the rest of the county.

"The reality is that after we got notice from [the districts] that they weren't interested, even one moderately populated municipality opting out by taking no action was enough to kill the whole idea of an MSTU," County Attorney Suzanne Hutton said, referring to Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach and Islamorada not opting in.

Hutton announced the plan's failure and return to the status quo at the Sept. 16 County Commission meeting.

In a non-binding referendum last year, voters -- except those in Key Largo precincts -- approved of the MSTU.

"It's a stupid tax because we don't need it," Key Largo Fire-EMS District board member Tom Tharp said. "We're serving egos in the county, four people who want an air force. We should get rid of our helicopters and contract with a full-time company like Martin and St. Lucie counties have."

Tharp said it is "foolish business" to have such an unnecessary liability as the Monroe County Sheriff's Office helicopter, purchased under former Sheriff Rick Roth's tenure. "There's no business sense here," Tharp added.

Monroe County Sheriff Bob Peryam said Trauma Star belongs to the county government.

"It has nothing to do with law enforcement," he said of the medical chopper. "All I'm doing is running the program for the county. I have talked to [Monroe County Fire Chief Jim] Callahan about some day taking over Trauma Star, but no one is jumping forward to take it. I inherited it and I'm happy to continue running it, but it's not up to me."

sgibbs@keysnews.com