Thorpe: Budget Will Keep Services WPNCC to Sponsor Anticipates No More Staff Layoffs
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Tour de France: Fedrigo celebrates stage victory /B1 TUESDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 90 Expect numerous LOW showers and thunderstorms. 78 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JULY 17, 2012 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 117 ISSUE 345 NEWS BRIEF Thorpe: Budget will keep services WPNCC to sponsor anticipates no more staff layoffs. ■ The proposed budget will be candidate Administrator said higher millage rate The budget strat- available today to view on the forum egy will be to use BOCC website: www.bocc. not a tax increase because state said so the rollback rate citrus.fl.us. Candidates for the and take from re- three Citrus County CHRIS VAN ORMER they spoke up to save two commu- serves to meet a Commission races make up for the decrease in prop- Staff Writer nity centers, a library, a swimming budget of erty value,” Thorpe said. will be featured in a pool and many other programs and $222,669,012 for fis- The rollback rate is the rate re- political forum this Brad Services will be safe for another services that faced the ax for a bal- cal year 2012-13, a Thorpe quired to generate the same tax dol- evening sponsored year, the county administrator said anced budget. 4.88 percent de- lars as the previous year, excluding by the Women’s Po- county Monday. On Monday, when County Admin- crease from administrator. new growth. litical Network of Cit- Last April, when hundreds of res- istrator Brad Thorpe released his $234,126,585 for The current millage rate is 6.8083 rus County. idents attended the second budget proposed budget for the coming 2011-12. The fiscal year starts in mills; the proposed rate is 7.1033, The forum is at hearing of the Citrus County Board year, he said the outlook was better October. an increase needed to generate the 6:30 p.m. at the Cit- of County Commissioners (BOCC) at than he originally thought and no “What I’m proposing is a rollback rus County Resource the county auditorium in Inverness, services will be cut. He also said he rate, which is an adjustment to See BUDGET/ Page A2 Center on Marc Knighton Court off County Road 491 in Lecanto. It will focus Oh, say can you see ... on all candidates in Report: county commission Districts 1, 3 and 5. Because all the Debt candidates are Re- publican, all voters regardless of party affiliation may vote in sparked the Aug. 14 primary for commission. The primary winners for robbery commission are elected to office. — From staff reports Money allegedly CROPS THREATENED: for drugs A.B. SIDIBE Staff Writer An apparent drug debt culminated in a man being hit about the head, having a screwdriver Worst drought held against his in a half-century neck and The drought gripping robbed of large swathes of the his posses- nation has only worsened, sions in an Bud Thorn recently reported data Inverness bond set at shows./Page A10 parking lot $17,500. Sunday, ac- STOCKS: cording to a Citrus County Consumer Sheriff ’s Office report. Bud O’Neil Thorn, 26, is spending charged with grand theft, socks stocks aggravated assault, battery and robbery. His bond is Another report of weak consumer $17,500. spending clips markets According to the report, early./Page A7 the alleged victim was sitting in his vehicle in the parking HEALTH & LIFE: lot of McDonald’s at 240 S. U.S. 41 in Inverness when Thorn exited the restaurant and walked past his car. The man said he was looking at his phone when Thorn entered his vehicle on the passenger side and took the keys out of the igni- tion. The man told investi- gators Thorn then PTSD study demanded money he said A new study wants was owed to him. He re- troops to test annually portedly said Thorn also for signs of post- began raining blows onto traumatic stress his head and told him to disorder./Page C1 hand over personal items ASK THE EXPERTS: such as his earring, watch, cell phone and his Nike shoes. Thorn reportedly exited the vehicle, but soon re- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle turned from a waiting PT George Singer, second vice commander of the Sons of the American Legion located at Blanton-Thompson Ameri- Cruiser with a female can Legion Post 155 in Crystal River, places American flags in front of the post Monday morning, adding a patri- driver. otic flair along State Road 44. Singer said the post flies the flags seven days a week, “except in the pouring rain.” See ROBBERY/ Page A4 Election 2012: FIFTH CIRCUIT PUBLIC DEFENDER ■ WHAT: Fifth Health & Life Samargya: Voters Judicial Circuit Graves: I’ve public defender. Doctors Bennett, Gandhi and Grillo and ■ WHO: Republi- Yvonne Hess share their cans Mike expertise./Page C1 can rely on me Graves and Bo aspired to this job Samargya. INDEX MIKE WRIGHT Board on Monday. ■ TERM: MIKE WRIGHT 32 years in office, Comics . .C8 Staff Writer Samargya, a Citrus Four years. Staff Writer Graves didn’t hesitate Community . .C6 County attorney who ■ COVERS: All to seek public office. Crossword . .C7 CRYSTAL RIVER lives in Hernando Citrus, CRYSTAL RIVER “It’s the job I’ve as- Editorial . .A8 — It’s a matter of County, is on the Aug. Hernando, Lake, — Mike Graves has pired to,” Graves told Entertainment . .B4 trust for Bo 14 ballot for Fifth Ju- Marion and spent much of his the Chronicle Edito- Horoscope . .B4 Samargya. dicial Circuit public Sumter counties. professional life mov- rial Board on Mon- Lottery Numbers . .B3 His 18 years in law defender. ing toward this point. day. “I very much ■ Lottery Payouts . .B4 have included posi- Because both PAY: $150,077. Graves partici- enjoy helping and Movies . .C8 Bo Mike tions in private prac- Samargya Samargya and oppo- ■ ON THE BAL- pated in the public Graves training young Obituaries . .A5 tice, as assistant nent Mike Graves are LOT: Universal defender clinic at lawyers.” Classifieds . .C9 public defender and as assis- Republicans, the race is open Aug. 14 primary Stetson Law School and Graves will know soon TV Listings . .C7 tant state attorney. to all voters and the primary wins election. All spent eight years as an assis- enough if he reaches the des- “I’ve always been involved winner is elected to office. voters may vote tant public defender. tination. Since both Graves in criminal law in one form Samargya is hoping his regardless of po- So when his former boss, and opponent Bo Samargya or another,” Samargya told litical affiliation. Howard “Skip” Babb, de- the Chronicle Editorial See SAMARGYA/ Page A2 cided to retire this year after See GRAVES/ Page A2 A2 TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Both Babb and King are fice,” he said. commission, property ap- County Courthouse in In- supporting his campaign, He said he plans to visit praiser and tax collector al- verness. The meeting is GRAVES Graves said. offices regularly and pro- BUDGET leging the MSBU was open to the public. Continued from Page X1 Graves said he under- vide on-the-job training to Continued from Page A1 illegal, saying a county “The purpose of that stands the challenges of the new attorneys. could not impose this type meeting is for the board to are Republican, the Aug. 14 public defender’s office, “I’m still going to try some same amount of funds as of tax on land that receives plug in the amount of their primary for Fifth Judicial which sees 2,200 to 2,400 cases,” he said. last year. One mill is equiv- no direct benefit to the millage for Geoff Greene Circuit public defender is clients a month Graves has twice been alent to $1 of tax for each properties it burdens. (Citrus County property ap- open to all voters and de- “We have to provide qual- disciplined by the Florida $1,000 of assessed, nonex- Thorpe said information praiser) to do the TRIM no- cides the winner. ity legal representation to Bar. empt real property. Accord- recently received from Hol- tices,” Thorpe said. Graves, a Tavares private an awful lot of people on a In 1999 he was placed on ing to Thorpe, the rollback land & Knight, a law firm, Once the millage rate has attorney, worked in the very short budget,” he said. probation for one year for rate is not considered a tax anticipated a resolution to been set, it can be lowered Sixth Circuit public de- Graves said one way to cut failing to respond to a Bar increase under Florida the lawsuit in 2015 or possi- at the last two budget ses- fender’s office for two years costs and increase effi- inquiry in a timely manner. Statute 200.065. bly later. sions at 5:01 p.m. Sept. 13 after receiving his law de- ciency is to streamline the In 2005, he received a 30- Thorpe said reserve “Therefore, the proposed and 25, but not raised. gree, and then Babb hired five offices. He said cur- day suspension of his li- funds the county would budget utilizes these funds The 2012 preliminary tax him in 1984. He worked six rently each office has its cense for the same offense. spend in the new budget as a current financial re- roll showed the county had years there, including five own chief assistant public Graves blamed his own would include $3.3 million source,” Thorpe said in his a total taxable value of as Babb’s top assistant. defender who earns more “foolishness” for ignoring that had been set aside for budget message.