Florida Keys News
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
New parking restrictions proposed
Some Old Town spots would be reserved for residents with $50 decal
BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com

City staff has proposed changes to Key West's three parking permit programs, including restricting parking in Old Town to those who live there and buy a $50 annual window decal.

That idea, which has been fleshed out and then flushed out by city leaders before, would still enable anyone with a Monroe County-stamped license plate to park in the white-painted spots not marke...

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RESIDENTIAL PARKING

Submitted on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 2:17pm by GYPSY
Since I no longer live in K.W., I suppose this means I can no longer visit my family, as there will be no parking for me. In a town that thrives only on tourism, where do you expect all these people to park? The Rock was crazy when I was raised there, but now it has gone over the cliff.

What if you live in Old Town and DO NOT have Monroe County tags?

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 1:05pm by kelliec
So many of the residents DO NOT have 'Monroe County' on their FL tags as they have SPECIALTY tags - save the reef, education, sea turtles, etc. even university or college alumni tags. That is more important as revenues go to these special interest groups. So are these residents to be excluded? Just because they chose NOT to have the generic FL tags but wanted their dollars to go to a worthy cause? Better think this through again - you will discriminate against many residents!

Vanity tag solution.

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 7:18am by got beer?
The city is well aware of vanity tag issues. I suggest you call them and get a sticker instead of whining. There is a solution.

I suggest you get normal tags.

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 6:16pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
The VANITY tags truly don't support much and it's all about YOU with a vanity tag.

This is nothing new. It's been this way for at least 10 or 12 years. Did you even realize that?

I suggest you realize these plates DO GIVE MONEY to the cause

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 2:14pm by kelliec
Yes, you may think they are vanity tags but they are Florida license plates that serve a number of worthy causes - and that is important to most people who care about the world around them. Why should we have to conform to the generic - we live here and we too will not be dismissed. It you could afford them you would have these plates too!

Over $30 Million for Non-Profs...

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 1:21am by Rabbi Flanagan

Over $30 million dollars are raised annually for organizations through the "VANITY" license plate program. http://www.myfloridaspecialtyplate.com/

Key West residential stickers should permit parking, not Monroe tags. Why should residents of Key Largo (or Key Haven) receive special parking privileges in Key West?

I don't feel sorry for a lot

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 1:02pm by Scout
I don't feel sorry for a lot of these old town houses without parking. A mojority of them converted their garage or driveway into more house space thus taking away their parking so they could have a bigger house to sell when the time came right!

That's not true,

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 1:59pm by Rabbi Flanagan
Most of them were built before the automobile was invented!

May we get back to reality here?

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 1:50pm by John
Most citizens living in old town do not own, they rent.

here's a no- brainer...

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 9:52am by ezinthekeys
stop issuing residential parking permits to vehicles with out- of- state tags... they're not residents!

EXACTLY. They are NOT paying Florida taxes on their`

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 6:17pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
vehicles and are not paying their way in this state.

Are you suggesting???

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 1:30am by Rabbi Flanagan

Somebody who pays $8000 a year in local property taxes and does not create a drain on educational funding (the largest tax authority), is less of a resident than someone who lives in public housing with four children in public education?

I'm suggesting that those who do not support the Florida

Submitted on Fri, 03/22/2013 - 10:41am by *.* CLEARLY the original
tax system on automobiles should get no benefits that a resident gets. Your property taxes are earmarked for certain things. Same with car tags. IF you don't pay taxes on your vehicle in Florida, you're simply gaming the system and not contributing to things that support vehicles in Florida - parking, road repairs, etc. AND there really are no exemptions to a resident having a Florida registration, unless you are military and living out of state. You MUST register with the DMV that you have the car here and prove that you have insurances required by the State of FL and issued by an agent in the State of FL. Snowbirds honestly don't come close to paying their way here.

Really... Pay $57 and save $3000?

Submitted on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 12:36am by Rabbi Flanagan

My Monroe County registration is $57.15. Snowbirds pay thousands of dollars in additional property tax because they do not receive the Save Our Homes or Homestead exemptions. So a snowbird with the same tax valuation as Jimmy Weekley pays double the property tax ($3000 more).

Do you still think they are getting a free ride? They could register 50 vehicles and still come out ahead.

come on Rabbi... really??? that's nonsense!

Submitted on Sun, 03/24/2013 - 10:21am by ezinthekeys
More nonsense from Rabbi again. Here’s the law, cut and pasted directly from the FDHSV website at http://www.flhsmv.gov/dhsmv/newflres.html… read it, learn it, follow it! “In the state of Florida, a motor vehicle is required by law to be registered within ten days of the owner either becoming employed, placing children in public school, or establishing residency. Registering your motor vehicle goes hand in hand with the titling process” It’s pretty simple Rabbi… if you’re claiming/ establishing residency, if you’re working, or if you have a child in school you are required to get a Florida tag and registration within 10 days… that’s the law whether you like it or not. Property taxes are not even part of the equation and those taxes go to support other services, auto tags and registration fees go to pay for others. If you want to come down to Florida as a snow bird, but claim residency in another state then accept the fact that you do not live here and are not a resident and are not entitled to the same benefits we are. The residential parking spots are for people who live here year round and are full time residents… they’re not for people from somewhere else.

just one more note Rabbi...

Submitted on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 5:31pm by ezinthekeys
many of these vehicles with out- of state tags and residential parking permits are owned by people who do not own property here so they're not paying those property taxes you refer to... and several on my street alone are actually here year round. by law those here year round are required to have Florida tags and we do lose out on that tax money. maybe they don't have Florida tags so they don't have to pay for Florida auto insurance... maybe they don't have any insurance at all since they can't be tracked. just another reason to stop issuing resident parking permits to vehicles with out- of- state tags. cheers!

Maybe they are from Outer Space...

Submitted on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 11:30pm by Rabbi Flanagan
Maybe they are pod people who took over the bodies of the rightful owners!

I have local tags and pay Danise

Submitted on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 12:00am by Rabbi Flanagan
Your attack sounds personal. I am just saying that many snowbirds pay way more in local taxes than residents. The tax system favors locals, so stop feeling like it is a conspiracy against you.

It's not personal Rabbi...

Submitted on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 5:18pm by ezinthekeys
But many of your comments here are ridiculous. Yes, snowbirds do pay more in property taxes... because they're not residents claiming a homestead exemption here, but they do claim one back home where their from. If you owned 2 properties here you'd pay the increased amount on the other one. It's part of the trade- off of owning a second home... no matter where it is. The tax system is supposed to favor locals, in this case actual residents. All I'm hoping your realize is we would face those same taxes and fees if we owned a second home in the places these snowbirds claim as there place of residence and they should expect to have to do the same here. As a town we do value their presence and contributions to the tax rolls, but they shouldn't expect to benefit the same way we do as full time residents unless we could expect the same if the situation was reversed... that's all. The parking situation is grave in Key West, especially in Old Town, and for non- residents to expect a pass on how their increased impact affects our way of life is ridiculous. Again... nothing personal, but you need to look at things from a different perspective sometimes.

Real estate taxes are MUCH higher

Submitted on Fri, 03/22/2013 - 5:53pm by dalton2kw
Those of us who OWN homes & pay real estate taxes are paying much more than those who RENT & pay car tag taxes. It's that simple.

Taxes

Submitted on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 2:21pm by NavyChief
The owner of the rental property pays the real estate taxes.At a higher rate than on owner occupied properties.It is not unreasonable to assume that the cost of the taxes is passed on to the renter, along with a few other items. Your thinking is fuzzy at best.

NavyChief; does that apply to

Submitted on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 12:09pm by trapper
Belfor Beatty?

Navy Cheif

Submitted on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 6:41pm by dalton2kw
So, it is fine that the guy who rents the house re-coops his taxes & effectively pays NOTHING so some renter can park ? But not homeowners ? You are not only 'fuzzy' , but probably suffering some form of dementia.

I pay taxes already

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 8:56am by trapper
this is another tax ; Vote for this and I will make sure my vote counts at election time. how would it be fair to new town residents ? Cut Vitas salary, he doesn't do anything anyway , that will pay for the stencils, which if I'm not mistaken the City already has them.

It's pretty simple. If you want to park in Old Town, then pay

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 6:18pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
your tax. If you do not, then park elsewhere.

Parking in old town

Submitted on Fri, 03/22/2013 - 5:55pm by dalton2kw
If you want to park in old town, buy a house in old town & OWN it. It's that simple.

HTA Private Parking on Eaton

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 6:25am by ktl
HTA has signs (HARC approved?) that block off about 500 ft. of Eaton St.(by the post office) for their own private parking. I'm curious. How much do they pay the city for that privilege? Has anyone ever actually seen any HTA employee cars parked there? How much should the city earn for 500 ft. of prime old town parking space if it was open to public use?

I second this.

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 8:51pm by KeyWestDan
Who approved private street parking and when and why? Under what law or ordinance was it approved? How much does HTA pay for it? It is certainly under-utilized from what I see on my regular trips to the post office and the clerk's office.

Generally your answers are well researched...

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 1:34am by Rabbi Flanagan
If you were not such a recent resident, you would have known the answer to this.

I'd be interested in hearing that too.

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 6:19pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
And how about Wall Street and the cost of parking their ugly-a** tour vehicles there and the fact that no one else can park there? What do they pay for that?

This was a totally wrong...

Submitted on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 1:12am by Rabbi Flanagan

The city turned over public property for ZERO, after spending $1 Million to brick it as a "Plaza" and remove the curbs, so HTA could park vehicles without regards to the actual street.

In other words, the city spent money to give away public property. for which it collects nothing.

That property was part of the aquisition of Truman Annex.

Submitted on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 5:57pm by Rabbi Flanagan
It's private property. The public use of Eaton Street is by easement. Wish it weren't so.
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