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Tax talk 3A Bits and pieces 4A Linked up 5A Cap what? Save our which? News snippets from city hall Vandals face a fence now Mast her = - VENICE • Bitter Ends ..R - make sweet friends 1B uonLOCAL NEWS COVER TO COVERo FLORIDA’Ser NO. 1 WEEKLY Sun NEWSPAPER 50 CENTS VOLUME 62 NUMBER 129 WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY EDITION, JAN. 16-17, 2008 AN EDITION OF THE SUN County may muddy up special election ballot 1 BY JACK GURNEY The county commission other questions that would: minute debate. PELICAN PRESS reluctantly agreed to sched- 1) require a financial analy- Earlier, when it was sug- ule a special election in sis for future citizens’ initia- gested the citizens’ group A proposed Sarasota Cou- either March or April on an tives; 2) change the time- might challenge efforts to nty Charter change that initiative by Citizens for table for filing such initia- delay an election, Staub would further limit the Sensible Growth that ob- tives; and 3) raise the cap said, “Let ’em sue.” r ' ability of local politicians to tained more than 12,500 on using surtax revenue to If approved, the group’s alter long-range growth petition signatures and trig- retire bonds. proposed charter change Staub Patterson plans without voter app- gered a countywide vote “If anybody has any- would prohibit the com- roval will go to referendum within 60 days. thing else to put on a ballot, mission from adjusting an “Let ’em sue.” this spring, but not without But commissioners th- bring it on,” Commission urban service boundary in — Shannon Staub, some efforts to cloud the reatened to load up the sp- Chair Shannon Staub said Low key on issue. ecial election ballot with at the conclusion of a 30- Please see BALLOT, 6A Commission Chair tax reform Helping homeless, stopping speeders, catching crooks — state troopers never bored. “We are really in a hold- ing pattern right now. If the electorate votes for it, most people are educat- 1 IT’S ALL IN A ed enough to know that means services will be impacted.” — Marty Black, City Manager DAY’S WORK EDITOR’S NOTE: For an overview of the proposed constitutional amendment, see page 3. -. _____ = __ BY GREG GILES J -. u a t NEWS EDITOR ' • I . 1 Like other Florida cities, dl. the city of Venice has run the _ ¦ numbers in anticipation of ¦ S _ the upcoming property tax reform measure and its probable fiscal impact. If the proposed constitutional amendment passes, the city anticipates a mini- 1 ? mum of $450,000 less in revenue. That’s equal to reduc- e ' ing city staff by as many as 20 to 25 positions. And it could rise to as much as $1 million if unin- tendedwconsequences materialize. 4 The impact of granting portability for the home- TI stead exemption under Amendment 1, in particular, is hard to measure, accord- Y ing to City Manager Marty Black. “We looked at the county’s (financial impact) model. There is no rational way to SUN PHOTOS BY SUSAN E. HOFFMAN, [email protected] estimate the impact of portability,” he said. “Trying to TOP: Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Ed Pope assists North Port Fire Rescue at a motorcycle accident on Interstate 75. His territory ranges from Bradenton guess how people buy and down to Collier County. ABOVE: Early on Christmas Eve morning FHP Trooper Ed Pope gives the driver of a Volkswagen an early gift for the holidays — a sell here, whether they will warning for a burned-out taillight. A driver who later sped by him at 90 mph wasn’t so lucky. move … (is difficult). Worst case, it could double the BY SUSAN E. HOFFMAN in and out of traffic. He sped up for Shortly after 7 a.m. he started going 90 mph in the right-hand impact of the homestead.” STAFF WRITER a closer observation … but then he southbound on I-75 and almost at lane. Unlike some other coun- saw a family by the side of the road, once came upon a car with a “Sometimes they just fall in your ty officials, Black says he One Dodge Neon northbound unloading their minivan to get to burned-out taillight. After pulling lap,” Pope said as he switched on intends to follow closely the on Interstate 75 got a Christmas the spare tire. the car over and verifying the dri- the lights and sirens. “You don’t vote of Venice residents, and present last month from Florida When Pope made the decision ver’s paperwork was in order and even have to work hard. I’m going present a budget to city Highway Patrol Trooper Ed Pope, to pull over and give the family a he had no outstanding warrants, to have to give him a little parting council based on local voter worth maybe hundreds of dollars. hand, the Neon — unaware the Pope gave him a break — a warn- gift.” wishes. And the driver didn’t even know it. FHP trooper was watching him in ing, with orders to get the light The Accord driver had no clue “I think that’s the wrong Pope was scouting the pre-holi- an unmarked car — got away. fixed. he’d just been issued a ticket by approach” to say we will day traffic looking for aggressive Pope was nearing the end of his But the driver of a Honda Accord FHP’s Trooper of the Year, a three- drivers, and spotted the little Neon shift as a Florida trooper, and the wasn’t so lucky. After all, he’d Please see TAX, 6A following too closely and weaving day was as varied as it was long. passed Pope’s unmarked vehicle Please see WORK, 7A Sun papers to reduce workforce LEADERS FIND BALLOT LACKING STAFF REPORT Tuesday. The anticipated layoffs will affect about 10 A likely increase in the school tax will negate Sun Coast Media Group percent of SCMG’s total property savings, says a Sarasota County will be reducing its work- workforce of about 500. force by about 50 positions Workforce reductions School Board member. this month in response to will affect all of the SCMG’s A recessionary conditions in operating divisions — the BY GREG GILES leaders who showed up Tues- the Southwest Florida real Charlotte Sun, Englewood NEWS EDITOR day night at the Nokomis estate and retail markets. Sun, North Port Sun, De- Community Center to help SUN PHOTO BY GREG GILES Employees were inform- Soto Sun, Venice Gondolier Is the public confused by inform citizens of the proper- ed of management’s deci- Amendment 1? The turnout was light Tuesday evening at a county-sponsored sion in a series of meetings Please see SUN, 6A That’s the least of it, say Please see LACKING, 5A panel discussion on Amendment 1. FRONT SECTION OUR TOWN SECTION ALSO IN THIS EDITION COUPONS DEATHS Good morning, LEGALS ......................................................10A CROSSWORD ..................................................4B AMERICAN PROFILE A Barber Plus ..................13A Kingfish Cafe......................6B Margaret A. Beckwith Rosemary G. Collins Gondolier Sun subscriber, LET ‘EM HAVE IT................................9A DEAR ABBY........................................................4B CLASSIFIEDS Acme Air ............................8B Lucky Dog Diner ................6B LOTTO ............................................................2A GREEN SHEETS ..........................................5B Affordable Hearing ............3A Twin Palms Chiropractic ..4B Thomas A. Gibson OBITUARIES ........................................11A MILESTONES ....................................................8B Antique Show ....................5B Venice Car Wash ..............13A MICHAEL MARMION 7 B OPINION ........................................................8A VENUE........................................................................3B DRM Enterprises................5A fl LJItI 11b WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY WWW.VENICEGONDOLIER.COM FOR HOME DELIVERY, CALL 207-1300. 2A SUN NEWSPAPERS ALMANAC WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16, 2008 BACK IN TIME Man the hoses In the Old West, access to see the demands that run- VENICE FROM ABOVE, 1950S water was a survival issue. away growth would bring. Feuds could turn ugly if a Now we fight water wars neighbor dammed the water with our neighbors. upstream. Water wars were waged. We are experiencing a mod- ern version of that situation. A story this week related how North and Central Flor- ida are battling over the St. John’s River. If Central Florida drinks it, water flow to the Atlantic will be seriously dis- rupted. Fish, and people, will suffer. TROPICAL BOB We know the problem. In WEATHER COMMENTS our area, planners didn’t fore- Florida Lottery CASH 3 PLAY 4 Jan. 14.......276 Jan. 14.....6437 PHOTO COURTESY OF VENICE ARCHIVES Jan. 13.......419 Jan. 13.....3880 An aerial view of the city of Venice looking south. The Venice Municipal Airport is at the top of picture. For more on this and Jan. 12.......007 Jan. 12.....0024 other historical materials, visit Venice Archives and Area Historical Collection at 351 S. Nassau St., across from West Jan. 11.......898 Jan. 11.....9116 Blalock Park. The mission of Venice Archives is to collect and preserve historical and archeological material relating to Jan. 10.......041 Jan. 10.....3775 Venice and the communities of Nokomis, Laurel and Osprey, whose histories have been interwoven from 1867 to the pre- Jan. 9.........384 Jan. 9.......6067 sent. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Call 486-2487 for more information. FANTASY 5 MEGA MONEY Jan. 14.............2-7-8-10-19 Jan. 11...................7-20-41-44 Jan. 13.......12-13-20-24-32 MegaBall.............................21 ABC-7 WEATHER Jan. 12.........5-14-15-33-34 Jan. 8...................23-35-38-44 Jan. 11.........4-16-18-23-24 MegaBall.............................16 VENICE OUTLOOK ABC-7 ALMANAC MARINE Jan. 10.........3-13-24-25-26 Drawings occur Tuesday, Friday evenings Temperature High Low Cape Sable to Tarpon Springs: Payoff for Jan. 13 Payoff for Jan. 11 (Sarasota and Charlotte counties) Yesterday 65 53 1 5-digit winner: ....$195,621.47 1 4 of 4 + MB...........$900,000 Normal 72 51 NE winds at 7 to 14 knots.

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