Florida Keys News
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Could parking hikes fill budget gap?
BY JOHN DeSANTIS Citizen Staff

City officials in Key West have a choice as to how to shore up a predicted $1 million budget shortfall -- raise property taxes or increase the cost of parking at meters.

So far, it appears the parking meter argument is winning.

"I think the taxpayer would agree that it would be best in the parking meters than on their taxes," said Commissi...

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Absolootly

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 9:50pm by Conch Harbor
Raise revenues and raise them some more. do not cut a DIME of spending. C'mon government, take some more of our money to pay for your incompetence. If it works for the federal government, it will surely work here.

How typical.

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 4:45pm by KeyWestDan
Instead of cutting back or reducing costs/salary as the economy dictates, the city commission wants to increase revenue and make Old Town even more unfriendly for tourists and locals alike. There are things I would go to Old Town to buy, but avoid it due to the parking issues and costs. The entire parking operation is a scam anyway on the taxpayers. The bars and clubs should pay fees for their excessive use of police resources. Certain clubs with admission charges who never collect or pay sales taxes should be cracked down on. There are lots of things to do, but the lazy easy thing is to raise parking meter fees or taxes. Why do we have a mayor AND a city manager for this little town and way too many other people sucking at the public trough?

You're Correct - The Juice Isn't Worth The Squeeze

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 8:36pm by Fletch

Shut Down the entire parking authority and pull out the meters

It costs more in manpower, health benifits, pension and maintenance than all the revenue collected

It's bubba workfare

Name One Single Club Which Doesn't Pay Sales Taxes

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 8:29pm by Jet Stream

Every bar, nightclub or restaurant in the town which has a cover charge pays sales taxes. If you own any kind of alcohol dispensing business and are late paying sales taxes, you will be fined. If you make no effort to pay your sales taxes, the state will shut you down.

To say "Certain clubs with admission charges who never collect or pay sales taxes" is like saying, "Certain people driving internal combustion vehicles who never pay taxes on the gasoline they consume" - no one is excepted, we all pay our taxes.

Not only that, but bars, clubs, restaurants and stores pay excise taxes on the alcohol they buy wholesale. Then when they turn around to retail the alcohol by the drink or bottled, they collect and pay sales taxes on each drink/bottle sold.

Wait. There's more. There are dozens of types of liquor licenses in the state of Florida. To sell any type of beer, wine or alcoholic beverage in this state - even if it is for a one night party like Fantasy Fest - you have to have a liquor license of some sort. Consequently, if you want to sell alcohol in any bar, club or restaurant, you have to purchase a liquor license. If you buy a liquor license to dispense beer, wine and liquor in Key West, be ready to throw down several hundred thousand dollars for the license you will need.

So what I'm getting at is bars, clubs and restaurants are giant tax collecting machines which pay a load of state, county and city taxes. I know of no bar or club extant which pays NO sales taxes. There is no such beast.

could be mistaken but

Submitted on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 12:23pm by Kiki
I think she means on the revenue aquired for the cover charges.

It's Time for the Bars to Pay for the Liabilities THEY Create

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 1:57pm by Cafe con Leche!
666 is absolutely right. The city should assess 25 cents for each alcoholic drink served in Key West. The revenue should be earmarked for police, emergency services, trash, maintenance, and substance abuse. Partying is good, but there are externalities that bar owners must take responsibility for.

great idea

Submitted on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 12:17am by Mr B
all drinks should have a 25 cent assessment/tax on them to pay for the police, cleanup etc...This has my vote

Just one more reason to stop

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 12:44pm by Zack
Just one more reason to stop short and shop N. Roosevelt. Can't wait for something to be put on Rockland Key.

Go ahead and raise parking rates.

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 12:12pm by Nickname
Might as well, since you assume that everyone using parking meters is a tourist. You've already made Key West VERY unfriendly to those living even just a few miles up the Keys. You want us to come to town to spend money, but finding parking is next to impossible. The "charge what the traffic will bear" philosophy might work well to wring every last cent out of tourists, but for people who live nearby, it stinks.

Keep on going

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 11:09am
That is exactly what most people want, to have to spend more money to come downtown. I agree that raising taxes isn't the solution either. How about this, find a way to cut spending without touching our emergency service budget. I guarantee you there is way more than 1 mil in frivolous spending that can be cut without affecting the safety of the people. here is another idea and this one is WAY out there. Sell a few of the countless properties that the city owns.

Cutting overbloated salaries would be a step

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 7:25am by trapper
and it's time for "Fantasy fest to pay it share for Police time. The event and its organizers profits tremendously and should pay for services rendered by the City including cleanup. Also the City should look into the Bight constructing a building with no potential tenant.; the second floor to be "dry Storage" 700,000 is a lot for a storage unit.

Police Overtime

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 7:08am by Mr B
For all these festivals like fantasy fest needing overtime, the festivals should be paying for this. I just wonder how much the bars on lower duval like sloppy's and ricks contribute to the police dept operation budget They make the big bucks from all the functions, the booze leads to fights and more police action and the clean up. What do they pay to the city? It could not be nearly enough to cover the overtime needed by chief Donnie

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 7:03am by Mr B
the $1.50 /hour for meters is enough. Maybe you financial gurus should start cutting some of the highly paid administration positions that really do nothing to help the city function....Maybe also city workers need to contribute more to their health care...Maybe you could also get Toppinno to buy some lawnmowers so his crew which is paid to work around the city doesn't spend all day cutting grass with weed wackers. They could do these jobs in 1/5 the time

Is there a reason the bars

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 6:44am by 666
Is there a reason the bars or The Market Share company do not pay for the police presence at Fantasy Fest? It would be nothing for them, rather then sucking it out of the average Citizen? Also, why not add a 25 cent tax to each drink served in the city? That would likely allow a DECREASE in property taxes and the drunks who come here would still happily pay. I know Rossi will not suggest it, but will any other commissioner have the guts to bring it up? Most important is The City needs to cut the budget like every other form of Government and private Citizen. How about a 5 percent pay reduction to the 60 k per year secretaries and other bloated staff? Nope, let's milk it out of Citizens! PS, before renters says they don't care, you do realize a hike in taxes will be passed onto to you in higher rent, right?

wisteria could have closed the gap plus.

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 6:38am by Chi Chi
Let Last Stand pay the difference. They looked a gift horse in the mouth when they avidly fought Wisteria. Now we're in a budget shortfall. Thanks a lot Last Stand.

Chi Chi , who do work for ? Delusional as your

Submitted on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 8:28am by trapper
saying that the rusted hulk of a wreck is a snorkeling destination . It's an accident waiting to happen and so was the Wisteria project. Also don't you recall that the Bernstiens DON'T OWN Wisteria, the Navy does.

Medicinal Marijuana

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 11:08pm by
I hope you have a prescription for that marijuana you're smoking. It appears to be medicinal grade.

Don't be silly & don't blame Last Stand

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 3:48pm by Mac

The development of Wisteria (Christmas Tree) Island would not have contributed one dime to the City of Key West. In fact it would have cost the city a fortune to provide utilities to the island.

As for Last Stand, they weren't the only ones opposed to yet another luxury resort destroying the little remaining green space we have-- the greater majority of the entire town was opposed to it.

You developers are going to learn, sooner or later, that the permanent residents of Key West are tired of having their quality of life destroyed by developers, bars, the TDC, Fat Fest and Bike (Barf)Week. In fact, we're mad as hell.

Remove All Metered Parking It's Just Another bubba Workfare Scam

Submitted on Tue, 07/24/2012 - 3:44am by Fletch

They should shut down this parking meter scam

It costs more to maintain the meters and pay wage, health, welfare and pension than they ever take in (after the New York-based Law Enforcement Systems collection company for a near 25% cut)

But then the bubbas wouldn't have access to all of those quarters

If a ticket is placed on a vehicle with out-of-state or rental tags and is not paid within 30 days, the city turns over that ticket to LES, which then makes repeated attempts to collect the fine.

Key West does not enforce unpaid parking tickets with license suspensions. They just want access to the ca$h collected at $.25 for every 10 minutes

But still, last year the city only collected an estimated half of its fines, or about $15.50 on each $30 ticket.

Between equipment cost and maintenance, painting the streets, signs, a police sergeant and all the manpower to ticket, and count the coins, the piece given to the contractor for the credit card usage the city never makes any money

But someone gets to count all of that cash and the taxpayers get to pay the salaries, pension and health and welfare for the patronage employees

Then the city gets to subsidize the workers in the city Housing Authority

Teamster local 769 who bargains collectively for the city employees and collects for the health, welfare and pension is aware that this is a loss leader but they are happy to take the payments and the dues

Scrap the parking division and see how much more friendly old town will be

Shut it down save some money and build a little good will

.

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