Absence of Two Members Stalls Largo Approval Of $10 Million Loanby Leo CoughlinLARGO - Approval of a $10 million loan, backed by funds that Largo does not yet have, failed at Tuesday's City Commission meeting. The absence of two commissioners - Harriet Crozier and Bob Murray - probably played a large role in the failure of city staff to get approval for the loan which will fund a new community center. Both had favored it in a first reading of the ordinance. Commissioners Mary Black and Curtis Holmes continued to oppose the loan and four votes - a majority of the total commission - are needed. Mayor Pat Gerard and Commissioners Gigi Arntzen and Woody Brown voted in favor. It will come up again at the commission's regular meeting December 15. Arntzen went on record as saying a new community center is needed. This view is 180 degrees from Holmes who calls it a "luxury" in the currently hard-pressed financial times. Holmes used the analogy of a financially hard pressed family running up their credit card to buy season tickets to the Tampa Bay Bucs. He pointed out the coming budget crunch and sewer system work that is going to cost more than $70 million. Even if the approval is given on a four-vote majority December 15, the loan itself will face another test because the commission has to approve the terms. At this point, the interest rate is not known and when it is factored in over a 10-year period the cost is expected to be considerable. Holmes's main opposition to having the city burden itself with a huge loan for an unneeded enterprise centers on the question of what is the first responsibility of government? No one disputes that public safety comes at the head of any list. That means police and fire departments. Of almost equal importance are sewer, water supply, trash pickup. A city of any size needs parks and green space, but this kind of expenditure comes down the list and even further down is entertainment. And this is what Holmes is driving at. The projected community center is an entertainment venue. It is not necessary to the support and protection of life. The city's Cultural Center, which taxpayers subsidize to the tune of $10,000 a week, is in the entertainment category and it is a drag on the city budget. Times are tough and they figure to get worse in the judgment of those who crunch the numbers. Amy Davis and Kim Adams have a task not to be envied as they formulate the budget for Fiscal Year 2011 which will be under discussion in a matter of a few months. At Tuesday night's meeting Holmes pointed out that those who advocate borrowing $10 million to build the new community center cite borrowing for the Largo Library as a precedent. It is obviously not germane to say something was done before to justify doing it again, but even at that borrowing for the library was only a portion of the money that funded that project. Now those who are slathering at the mouth for a new community center want to borrow ALL $10 million to be paid back from funds not yet in hand. What is troubling to many observers who watch city developments closely is that a starry-eyed city staff is pushing hard to borrow $10 million for the non-essential new community center while key city departments like police suffer. The situation has not become severely dangerous in the Police Department, mostly due to the careful and prudent management by Chief Lester Aradi. But there have been cutbacks that ripple through the whole department. The effects so far have been minimal where enforcement meets criminal activity, but any reduction in police availability and service is dangerous. "It is preposterous," one former commission member said, "that they seem bound to borrow ten million dollars for something that is not essential and at the same time putting an essential department - the police - in a precarious position. It makes no sense." Largo Fire & Rescue has a far less dangerous situation due mostly to a unique set of circumstances that developed over the past year. By securing agreements with Belleair and Belleair Bluffs to provide fire service, Chief Mike Wallace's department is receiving some revenue which offset the amount the department had to cut under an edict from the budget makers. The commission approved the agreement with the Bluffs last night which will bring $244,225 to Largo.
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