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Suncoast Pinellas News

Palm Harbor Incorporation Effort Ending For Year

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: March 25, 2009

Updated: 03/25/2009 04:00 pm

PALM HARBOR - The group that had been exploring the feasibility of turning the Palm Harbor area into a city announced Wednesday morning that it is calling a halt to its efforts for this year.

The Palm Harbor Coalition says it has asked state Rep. Peter Nehr, R-Tarpon Springs, and state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, to withdraw legislation that would have set up a referendum on the question of creating the city of Palm Harbor.

"Although state analysis found that Palm Harbor could incorporate and provide the same level of service without an increase in taxes, we decided to pull the bill from consideration this year," Jim Kleyman, president of the coalition, announced in a prepared statement. "We did this because we received some last minute concerns from some local residents regarding the wording in this year's bill that differed from last year's version."

In a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon from Tallahassee, Nehr said he would withdraw the incorporation legislation. Even before receiving the request from the coalition he had been considering pulling the legislation because of questions surrounding the cost and timing of an incorporation referendum and related issues, Nehr said.

Tuesday evening, a reporter contacted Kleyman with questions regarding opposition to the proposed incorporation of Palm Harbor the Crystal Beach Community Association has been spearheading.

The coalition asked to have the referendum legislation withdrawn from consideration during this year's legislative session, Kleyman stated, "while we work through any outstanding issues with a segment of potential referendum voters."

Later Wednesday afternoon, Kleyman called a reporter and said coalition members had met earlier in the day with community association representatives. During the meeting the coalition members said the association could provide the coalition with a map of the Crystal Beach area and the coalition would exclude that area from the proposed city.

Consultants have told coalition leaders the loss of tax revenue from the Crystal Beach area would have "no material impact" on the financial feasibility of Palm Harbor incorporation, Kleyman added.

Advocates of incorporation say the city of Palm Harbor would have access to sales tax proceeds and other revenue that the County Commission has declined to earmark for the unincorporated area in northwestern Pinellas.

Crystal Beach residents sounded a sigh of relief upon learning the news.

"Crystal Beach residents are happy living in the county and we don't need or want another layer of government," Claudette Otto, president of the Crystal Beach Community Association, said in explaining the association's opposition to Palm Harbor-area incorporation.

While the vote will be put off this year, the coalition plans to work with Nehr and Fasano on the incorporation issue next year, Kleyman noted.

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