The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
TREASURE ISLAND — Impassioned pleas to restore $107,000 in funding cuts for the Gulf Beaches Public Library in Madeira Beach failed to sway the City Commission on Wednesday as it set its property tax rate at a level that excludes any money for the library.
Once the 2008-2009 budget is approved, Treasure Island is expected to formally withdraw from the five-community consortium that financially supports the library. Other beach cities that sponsor the library are Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, North Redington Beach and Redington Shores.
Former elected officials from some of those communities were among the nearly standing-room-only audience.
"This came right out of the blue. If you pull out now and endanger the library's funding, you are not going to make a lot of friends up north on the barrier island. You people want to pull out and leave us in the lurch at the last minute. It's not good," former Madeira Beach Commissioner Martha Boos warned.
Former Vice Mayor Lee Holmes of Redington Shores said the "loss of financial support" from Treasure Island would "seriously jeopardize" continued operation of the library.
Former Madeira Beach Commissioner Art Thomas said "the library is the backbone of the future of your city," and offered to personally find enough money in the Treasure Island budget to restore library funding.
Thomas drew loud applause when he suggested commissioners start by cutting their own salaries to raise the money.
Many Treasure Island residents also pleaded with the commission to continue supporting the library, calling it a "basic fundamental need" and an "essential right" of the city's residents.
"Soon we will not have money for anything, but at least we can read books," said one resident concerned about the economy and rising gas prices.
Some residents and property owners supported cutting the library's money.
"In the past five years, my taxes have gone up 155 percent," said Janie Hermann, a longtime business owner. "The community can no longer support extreme increases in taxes. Those who want to use services are going to have to pay for them."
James Gustry, who owns and lives in a five-unit apartment building on the Isle of Capri, said the commission faced a "real simple matter of economics" and needed to "run the city like a business" by shifting responsibility for services to those who use them.
Travis Sherman, the youth services librarian at the Gulf Beaches Public Library, says that more than 2,500 Treasure Island residents are active members of the library.
With the city backing out of the library system, those or other Treasure Island residents will have to pay $100 a year for a family library card. Several other cities that do not have municipal libraries subsidize all or part of that cost, but Treasure Island commissioners have indicated they do not plan to.
The library has posted signs in its lobby and on its Web site warning Treasure Island residents that beginning Oct. 1, they will no longer have access to any library in Pinellas County unless they purchase library cards.
The Library Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Sept. 22 to discuss how it will react to Treasure Island's action — and how to refinance its budget.
Treasure Island Commissioner Alan Bildz said he is not worried about the library's ability to stay in operation. "If enough residents sign up for the $100 cards, they would more than make up for the $107,000" cut by the city, he said.
Except for Mayor Mary Maloof, the commission joined Bildz in supporting the proposed property tax rate of 2.4999 mills, which is 8.52 percent less than the rollback rate.
The commission will meet again at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 for its final vote on property taxes and the city's budget.
[Last modified: Sep 10, 2008 04:38 PM]
Comments on this article
by Stanley S
Sep 10, 2008 4:38 PM
The city commission in TI is not to blame! Where's Jan Horah, the library director? What has she done to work with the beach communities? You could restore more than half of the funds by sending her out the door for not doing her job. What a shame!
by stanzen
Sep 10, 2008 4:38 PM
I happen to know that many, and I mean many hundreds of people from treasure island use Gulf Beaches Library. Treasure island citizens are being sold short on many levels. Very short sighted indeed.
by tim
Sep 8, 2008 11:41 AM
Madeira Beach: As a token of sincere appreciation to our cheap-skate neighbors to the south, let's begin by rescinding the courtesy of allowing Treasure Island cops to chase and ticket cars in our city. Stop at the bridge from now on, fella's.
by Gary
Sep 8, 2008 10:59 AM
2,500 residents are members? Last article stated it was 5,000. If you are going to make up numbers at least be consistant. Only a handful of resident use this service. Keep my tax dollars in Treasure Island.
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