Tax rate cut in store for Vero property owners

By KEONA GARDNER keona.gardner@scripps.com

September 8, 2006VERO BEACH — A lower property tax rate is on the way for city taxpayers.
In a unanimous vote Thursday, City Council gave first approval of new rate of $2.14 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is down from the 2006 rate of $2.29.
Advertisement

The new rate would mean a property owner with a home assessed at $200,000 minus the $25,000 homestead exemption would pay about $374 in taxes, compared to about $400 at the current rate.

Last year, the council raised the property rate to $2.29 from $2.14 to help pay for expenses incurred after the 2004 hurricanes.

After approving a lower rate, the council, in a 3-2 vote, approved reimbursing former Mayor Mary Beth McDonald 60 percent of the money she spent defending herself against two complaints filed with the state Ethics Commission.

Vice Mayor Sabin Abell and Council members Ken Daige dissented, saying McDonald failed to submit an itemized bill, which the council had requested at its Aug. 15 meeting. Members said they couldn't approve paying the bill without knowing exactly on what they were spending taxpayers' money.

The council also made the payment conditional if McDonald would not file any more claims against the city and the City Attorney's office would create a criteria for future reimbursement claims.

McDonald originally asked for $10,000 but during the meeting, her Chicago-based attorney, Leo Athas, said about 60 percent of the $10,000 bill was for the ethics cases filed by former City Manager David Mekarski and former Vice Mayor Lynne Larkin. About 40 percent of the bill was for unspecified other work, Athas said.

City Attorney Charles Vitunac said he would have like an itemized bill but the work was done on a flat-fee basis and a detailed bill wouldn't be coming. Also, he said, if the council didn't pay the bill, McDonald could sue the city for reimbursement.

Council member Bob Solari, who along with Mayor Tom White and council member Debra Fromang agreed to pay the $6,000 bill, said the issue wasn't with the itemized bill but with following legal precedent the council started when it agreed to pay White's bill earlier this year.

Last year, the state Ethics Commission dismissed the complaints, saying McDonald's actions violated no law. The state Attorney General's Office has said elected officials can recoup expenses spent to defend themselves against complaints and lawsuits while they are in office — if they are cleared and the issue relates to their job duties.

source: TCPalm.com