Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 by TCPalm.com
FORT PIERCE — A plan that includes eliminating 331 jobs and closing three schools to cut $30.6 million from next year’s budget was explained in detail Tuesday evening to elected members of the School Board, who sat silent through the presentation by Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon.
Their lack of comment was deliberate. Chairwoman Judi Miller said after the meeting all five members of the School Board had previously agreed in individual conversations with Lannon not to speak until after a town hall meeting on the proposal, scheduled for 6 p.m. March 31 at Fort Pierce Central High School auditorium.
Lannon spoke for almost one hour on a problem that he laid entirely at the feet of Tallahassee lawmakers who refuse to raise more money in the face of shortfalls created by the economic recession.
(more…)
Tags: budget, chairwoman, children, cutbacks, elementary, federal, fees, Florida, grants, housing, jobs, money, mother, North, protest, raise, raises, recession, repair, salary, Schools, stimulus, students, superintendent, Tallahassee, teacher, teachers
Posted in Economy, Fort Pierce, Schools, St. Lucie County, State | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 by Post Staff
FORT PIERCE — City Commissioner Reggie Sessions, perhaps the most vocal critic of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, hasn’t been paying his utility bills on time for the past year, records show.
And to help Sessions remember to pay his bills, the utility has been giving him preferential treatment, including special calls from the utility director’s office and customer service. These services aren’t generally extended to the utility’s other 28,619 customers, utility officials said.
Sessions, who lives in a 1,200-square-foot home on North 22nd Street, said he hasn’t been paying his bills on time in protest of “high rates.”
(more…)
Tags: author, commissioners, critical, fees, Florida, fuel, money, North, prices, protest, raise, raises, telephone, utility, vote
Posted in Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 by TCPalm.com
PORT ST. LUCIE — Residents in the city will see their cable, Internet, home phone and cell phones bills increase in six months by a few dollars.
The Port St. Lucie City Council approved more than tripling the city’s communications services tax at its Monday night meeting with only Councilman Chris Cooper dissenting. Nobody from the public spoke on the issue.
The increase from 1.5 percent to 5.22 percent will provide the city with $4.6 million each year as part of the solution for the city to make up for an anticipated $10 million shortfall in next year’s budget, according to the city’s Communications Director Ed Cunningham.
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Tags: budget, cable, cell, codes, college, communication, fees, fire, hurricanes, Internet, taxes, volunteer, volunteers
Posted in Economy, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County | No Comments »
Monday, March 23rd, 2009 by TCPalm.com
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Proposed cuts to the St. Lucie County School District athletic budget have coaches and athletes alarmed.
The proposed $1 million decrease in the county athletic budget for next year announced Thursday means coaches will be working with less funding.
But what is even more alarming to coaches, is the elimination of feeder programs, which help develop players before they hit the varsity level. (more…)
Tags: baseball, boy, budget, development, fees, football, Fort Pierce Central High School, Fort Pierce Westwood High School, girl, informant, jobs, kids, money, raise, raises, safety, Schools, security, St. Lucie County Schools, students, travel, treasure coast, volunteer, volunteers
Posted in Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County | No Comments »
Friday, March 13th, 2009 by TCPalm.com
PORT ST. LUCIE — Residents may soon see an increase to their monthly cable, Internet, home and cellphones bills if the city decides this month to increase the communications tax by almost 350 percent.
The City Council gave preliminary approval earlier this week to increase the city’s comunications services tax from 1.5 percent to 5.22 percent, which would provide the city with $4.6 million each year. It’s one possible solution for the city as a way to make up for an anticipated $10 million shortfall in next year’s budget.
(more…)
Tags: budget, cable, cell, communication, fees, home phone, Internet, raise, taxes
Posted in Port St. Lucie | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 by TCPalm.com
Soon that trip to the beach or a family outing on Martin County waterways could cost a little extra.
In an effort to plug gaps in budget shortfalls, Martin County officials are considering charging parking fees at beaches and boat ramps for the first time.
Martin County Parks and Recreation staff is working to determine how much money could be collected from boat trailer parking at 10 county parks and for parking at 12 county-managed beach accesses.
Parks and Recreation Director Richard Blankenship said the department is studying whether the fees would pay for the cost of collecting them. Staff members are also looking at collection methods; cost of collection equipment and their installation, maintenance and replacement; enforcement; and gross revenues anticipated.
According to the plan, any extra money the fees earn will fund equipment replacement and restore beach and boat ramp services such as keeping restrooms open and having trash picked up. (more…)
Tags: beach access, boat ramps, budget, fees, money, parks and recreation, taxes
Posted in Economy, Martin County | No Comments »
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