Most Participants at Forum on Largo Budget Cuts Were Not City Taxpayers, ResidentsBy Leo CoughlinLARGO - While those who run Largo's Recreation, Parks and Arts Department have raised strong objections to any cuts in spending for that department, in direct opposition to what the city manager is trying to do, there has been barely a peep out of essential departments like police and fire and rescue. But one interested citizen and a city employee - a police sergeant - decided to take a close look at those people who showed up at the Largo Library on March 29 to "help" City Commission members with ideas on how to trim the city budget for fiscal year 2011. Keep in mind that the previous week two clarion calls went out from Recreation, Parks and Arts (RPA) urging citizens to show up for this forum to "help" the commission. That was a facade, and all those who have been around Largo for any length of time and have seen how RPA works, knew it. The call was for RPA supporters to show up and urge that no cuts be made in Recreation services. Such has always been the standard in Largo for the past several years any time there was a hint, suggestion or plan drawn large for cutbacks. The situation is turned into a political football. Commission members obviously know the noisemakers from RPA are often voters. But it turns out that people who are not residents or taxpayers in Largo are perfectly willing to let Largo taxpayers foot the bill for what they enjoy. The man taking a close look at those who showed up March 29 is Michael Bruno, a member of the Largo Police Department, a Largo resident and representative of the Police Beneficial Association, the union that bargains for police officers. Late last week, he informed the mayor and commission members by e-mail of his findings. He also said, "After attending the most recent open forum meeting, I was shocked at the lack of concern expressed by the speakers for the proposed cuts to emergency services." What Bruno is referring to here is police and fire and rescue. The emergency services cannot sustain cutbacks without endangering peoples' lives. It is that simple. Because of the lack of concern he saw, Bruno wrote, "it raised the question in my mind if the speakers accurately represent the city population as whole." In pursuit of that, he got a list of all those who spoke at the forum last week, along with their addresses. Bingo! Of the 46 who spoke, he found out, 30 were determined to live in other cities and unincorporated Pinellas County. In other words, more than 65 percent of those who were endeavoring to "help" the commission determine budget cuts, did not live in Largo or pay taxes in Largo. "It's great when you can get someone else to pay the freight for your entertainment," one former commission member said. Bruno discovered that only 14 of those who spoke at the forum at the Library were from Largo. Two other speakers did not list addresses. Other than the obvious questions this raises, there is also the question of whether the City Commission should require that anyone participating in an important subject like city spending be a Largo resident. The commission will be wrestling with cuts in the 2011 budget. There is strong sentiment on the commission among some that there be no cuts in certain areas. Mayor Pat Gerard has expressed great reluctance to make any cuts in emergency services and Commission Curtis Holmes has flatly opposed any cuts whatever in police and fire and rescue.
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