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Minutes 03-11-52 I TES OF A SPECIAL EETING OF CI UZ COUNCIL OF A Special ~eeting of the City Council of Boyn~on Beach was celled and convened in the City Hall at 7.30 P.~. on ~arch ll, 1952, for the purpose of further consideration of tax complaints. o~J~-z ss 1 erie r Presant: M~. F.L.Purinton · V~r. C.H.Hood Mr. ~lva Shook Mr. ~rthur Fredrich Mr. Stanley Weaver. Mayor Purinton said that such adjustments as may be found necessary in connection with ~he ta~ complaints musD be agreed to by the five Commissioners, Who had been working on the complaints ali the afternoon and even then had not been able to get through examining all thelcards. City Clerk Dorothy V.Williams read a letter from Mr. Hatless covering the follo~ng Appraisal Cards as noz having been fomud ~o call for changes: W.C,Hhhwabrow H, W. & Biaude G,Graham R.L.Brandawie .T.L.Hasbrouck ~a~e and ~ary Eberhart. Claire Howard Carl R. and Evelyn Anderson Willie Miller Queenie Stephens Viviane and Thomas Shotwell Ruby Davis T.g. and Adm Wilson Jas. Cartier et al ~ohn Less~r Olga and Erna Yanke Eva G.Walker. LO% depreciation is allowed to Lex ~oolbrzght. ~.B.Metaar's tax complaint was put aside for f~rther consld sratl on. After all the names on the cards had been read ouz the Mayor asked if any of the people who~e names had been c~tled were present. There was no reply. d ~r. Fredrich moved and Mt.Hood secon ed that this batch -2- of cards with the axception of 10% depreciation allowed to Lex Wo01b~ig~ht,_ and V~B.Melear's to be further considered, be, acop]~.~. ~p~zon~ passed .unanimously. _A secg~d list o,f At~praisal Cards on, which changes in appraz~l-v~'~ues w~re-'reoo~en~ed was. rea~ out as ~O~:ows-.- ~arvey 'E.O~er <' Noah ~d .L~da ~i!~iaes · <~: :T~ayl-or's p:operty yaluation was red~ced ...b: about -',.: ................. "~. Witl~am Po~aII 6o~pl~ined that his tax ~d been raised :~t0.:$17:~d .that ,his next-door neigkbour has much more Mayo_ said he did not see 'how anyon~ cou~d to pay sa lit~tLe and,~re~&ive ac much in the way of City serlio ~s ~ m~. Fr~mrmch ~dVed, 8~d ~,~i Eood seconded ~'hS~ the secoad ha?ch ,ot,oaz~S, be .accepted as, read, with the 2eoom- ' i thi:d li~t of:~ppr~is~i'oards'~as read, :~.Harless saying zn h~s cov~rzng-letter that he was, no5 making f~ther reco~en~ations ragarding ~h~se ~ adjured thereon', 'n~t made 5~ hi~, base been accepted by the ~oard: WJS.'~ E.A.Ca~penter Marion W.Gould Isabel TUite U,B.~and'PearI Mslear Lo~na H.Fox gohnBeveraton Seth Futreil. ~ Ethel E. N~cheias hnd Ros~ Lombardo Farmers' Implement Smpply Nick Stevens, Weaver made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shook, that this:~hird-ba~ch of cards be aocepted.with the e~cepzion of .the-L0mb~r~ ~nd ~ioi stev~ns'~'pr~per~i~,~. /]~otion p~sed ~uanimously? -3- Mr. Stevens, who was present, said he would agree with the Commissioners' decision whatever it was. ~r. H~rless explained how the valuation was arrived at. The ~ayor said there had been a question as to the sound- ness of the buildings and that an engineer should be con- sulted F0out this and not the Building Inspector. Mr. Johnson said it did not seem fair that the building mow ~alued at $15,000 should be increased i~ value by $10,000 on account of improvements to be made later. The matter was tabled for the time being. ~r~ Fredrich moved and Mr. Hood seconded that the change_ made in the c~se of the Lombardo propsr~y allotting 50% deprec- iation be accepted. Motion passed unanimously. The case of ~. Charlie Percival who had traded his propervy for that of ~.Farr and wished to trade the hom~snead exemption as well was discussed. The City Clerk said the County had rejected such home- stead exemD~iSn as of May 18,1951. Mr.Percival seid he had taken-t~e matter up again and that it had been allowed. After the City Clerk had said the homestead exemption had been filed with the City Hall the Mayor r~co~mended that 'muder the circmmstmuces this case be made an exception. Mr. Fred~ich moved and ~ .~'~e~ver seconded that this case be made an exception because of the fact that Mr. Percival had applied ~or homestead exemption. Notion passed unauimously. There ~s a long discussion on ~rs.Adams' complaint that ~.Horton had not refilled a hole from which he had removed the muck. The Mayor suggested that if the hole is not filled in she should take it up in writing with the Council, who wilt take steos about it. 2~r. Johnson read out ~rs.T~ylor's card showing the valuation bf her properzy had been reduced by approximately ~3,500. 2@s. ~ylor expressed herself as being quite saz is fled. Manic Brooder brought up the subject of her 5axes which she tD~ought %oo high. The City ClerE, reading from the card, said homestead exemption was sho~m on one property and so could not be allowed on the ether. Et was decided to pu~ ~his ma~er aside for further checking after ~.Harless's advice had bean asked for. Ya.ckie Ear,ay complained that her ~ax was zgo high. Her property is valued at $1,500 end She has no homestead exemption. She was advised to file for homestead exempt Son b~fore April t, a~d t~id that nothing can be done meanwh[ile a~aUt h~r ~9~ taXes~ 'It w~ pointed!out to her-that h~r h~d jumpe~ because, when the tax was first ievi~d ~everal years ago, the~ h~d beeh no house on the prope ty There were several similar complaints from taxpayers ~fao considered their t~x too[ high, and it was pointed out to them ~ ~ach case t~at they-.h~d not filed for homestead exemption znd i~' ha~:no~ bee~ knoWnbefore last year Z~.a.t ~nere wa house on the'land, it was also pointed .0mt that they had been benefiting ~rea%ly during the years they hmd been p~ing taxes on the lo~ o~iY; .o~,becauae permits had not ~e?n from City. H~ll for improvements, these h~d no'~ o~en before. All these sex complaints were gcne into in detail and discussed at length~ explanations being given in every case wh~ no change Could be made in the tax assessed for 1951. The City Clerk read a letter from an attorney covering a tax complaint made on behalf of Joseph&ne Buchanan and Priestero After discussion, Mt.Hood made a motion, seconded by Mr. Shook, that the taxes stand as assessed for l~S1 in the case of Josephine Buchanan and Yriester. Motion passed unanimously. k~iro Bud Merkel asked whether he pays sexes on laud over which the tide comes twice a day. ~r. Hatless, ~th the aid of a map of Harbor Estates~ gave an explamation which appeared satisfactory ~o mr.~er~el. ~?2r. Job_mson raised the quession of the $% discount on zax bills outstanding because of complaints~ saying that it was hi~ understanding that the discount would be allowed until tbs complaints had been considered. The minutes of the regular meeting cf January 14, 1952, were quoted in which 'it was ruled that all tax complaints Should be submitted tc the City Hall in writing by January 31, but no reference was made to discou~-t. Mr. Johnson was informed that the Commissioners had not then and did nov now agree to the sllowance of the 4% discount on all unpaid tax bills. ~r. Fredrich made a motion, seconded by Mt. Shook, that previous minutes regarding the allowance of the 4% discount be clarified to read tAat the discount will be allowed for the month in which tax complaints are filed with the City Hall,- that is~ if filed in November, &%, etc., and that all tax bills must be paid on or before ~arch 31 at the City Hall, or by ma~l postmarked mot later than midnight March 31. Motion passed unanimously. -5- F..~r, WeaEer moved and Mr,Hood seconded that the vax on personal property on Baskins Grocery Store be ~d-~~ Business was not in opr~atzon zn 195z, ~otion passed unanimously, ~. Hatless w~$ aS~~ ~ to cheek measurements, etc., of the various houses of Mr.Wacks~an and ~o report at the next regular meeting on March 17. This he agreed to do. After discussion as to the method by which delinquent taxpayers shomld be notified, it was decided that letters shoaid be sent to ~hose in whose bills no changes had been m~de, and new bills to those v~th Changes. ~.. ~ ohnson, In .reoly- ~o a question,_ said. there b~d ha~ no meeting of ?O~ szncS t~e Council's ~e~ia~-m~e~in~,o-~ February no suggsstions for' raisin g Y Y expenses had been made by the association, ~rs. K~emo~s suggestea a minimum tax of $1~ ~o $16 a year as a garbage zax, to be collected from everyone regard- less of homestead exemption. It was decided ye turn the matter over to t~e City attorney, but the general opinion was that it would not up in Court. stand Mrs.Klemons also suggested that people who are here only a few monzhs a year should pay am'knmmum" of $2 for having wa~er ~urned on and off. Mr. Fredr~ch_ suggested taxing people who don't nave their lots Cleaned off, the cost ~o be added zo their tax bills each year. He also suggested they ~u'~h iots be ct~aned off by the City, the cost being added to the owner's tax bill. During the discu~ ' ' osmon whlch followed ~r.Fredrich Suggested a test case being taken into Co~rt on the matter. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by the Mayor.