HomeMy WebLinkAbout1965-03-14 NP Delays Club Debts Action (Palm Beach Post)I The county club's ouaget of
' One 11/emb� $344,600 was approved. It is
�� separate from.. the village bud-
Absent As
Vote Split
get. Councilmen hope during
the next year the club can start
operating in the black. At pre-
sent one-third of the village's
real estate tax revenues go to
the country club to pay off back
and current debts.
. R Paul Emond asked from the
audience - what the council in -
NORTH PALM BEACH — tended tc do if the country club
With one member absent, the does not break even. Lewis said
village council Tuesday night that if the club is not in the
split 2-2 on whether the tax rate black by May he will recom-
hould be raised to quickly paymend the golf course be operat-
-off $100,000 in back debts of the separately, the dining room
village -owned North Palm be turnea into a recreation hall
each County Club. and the swimming pool be ope- I
The question will be decided rated on a fee basis.
ext Tuesday night when the
bsent member, Councilman
es Churchill, is present.
Mayor Harold W. Beery and
ouncilman Herb Watt by their
vote indicated they favored rais-
A inr the millage while Vice
.Mayor Thomas F. Lewis and
Councilman Thomas Bell voted
for next year's budget as now
. worked out with $20,300 in bud-
get cuts and the current nine
mill tax rate.
The mayor said he unders-
tands Churchill, as of Monday
night when budget items were
slashed, would favor a higher
tax rate.
"But he could change his
mind and it is only fair to hold
up tinal action on the budget raise the millage to ten.
until he can vote," the mayor "I feel the residents of this
said. village should not be fined for
Churchill is out of town on the poor management of pre -
business. vious councils," Lewis said. "
The council had intended to don't think any additional mil
elav a vote on the budget lage should be put on. By frugal
esolution until Churchill return- operations, we will be able to
d but decided to hold the vote pay off the old debt.
hich ended in the deadlock Lewis said he didn't
think the
The proposed village budget
'or departments now stands at ,
3337,350, compared to $360,632''11
before Monday night's cuts.
This year's budget is $348,444.
Cuts included $13,400 from the
department of public safety, in-
luding $12,000 for hiring three
ire dispatchers, $550 from legi-
lative, $850 from administra-
dive, $500 from civil defense,
32,100 from public works, $2,500
=rom recreation and $400 from
_he art center.
Lewis moved and Bell second-
ed his proposal to accept the
budget as now written, keeping
tax
he nine milllevy. Lewis
vy
refused to accept an amend-
ment to his motion that would
after persons in the audience
said they expected budget ac-
tion last night.
Those in the audience wh
spoke after the vote indicated
they were against a tax hike to
pay off the old county club ,
debts. The budget as voted on continue to grow and we will
contains a $20,000 item for pay- take in more taxes under the
ment of that amount during the present levy so the deficit can
fiscal year beginning Nov. 1. be eliminated in two or three
g g
- years."
village should try to wipe out m
none year county club debts that
have piled up for three years.
"A levy for the country club
should have been made when
the club was purchased," Lewis
said. "I feel the village will
Watt said that was optimistic
thinking. "I don't think increas-
ing taxes by one mill willbe
fining the people but just pick-
ing up an assessment they
should have had before," he
said. He had proposed a one
mil levy for two years.
Beery said it seemed more
' sound to him to pay off the
country club debt as quickly as i
possible.
Emond said he thought resi
dents should have the right to
vote on a tax village increase.
The council deferred action o
• purchasing two police patrol
cars until after the budget is
passed.
I avissmwmaimil I
Posy t:r#n& 14, ici4S