 A little off the beam Monday, so it’s tidbit Tuesday… — During last week’s County Commission discussion on the budget, someone asked for a list of the top county taxpayers. A report showed up in the commission email this week, and while not surprising, it’s still interesting fodder. The top 10 in 2023:
That’s a serious chunk of change. The county’s challenge is adding more corporate names to that list, which creates a smaller tax burden on residents. That’s what I’ve always been told by people who know such things. — I don’t delve into the permitting process too much, but I’m seeing a pattern in the commission emails of businesses, contractors, and citizens running into frustrating roadblocks with the county’s building department. A Floral City man sent Commissioner Rebecca Bays an email in which he detailed the nightmare of getting a permit for his RV port. Building officials repeatedly told him to return with the same information he had already submitted. He would submit paperwork, told it was OK, and then a few days later receive a letter from the county needing more. I always read these things with a grain of salt. This one was quite detailed, though, and it generally matched similar complaints I’ve seen in commissioner email boxes in recent months. The county got this gentleman his permit, but no explanation for the delay or why he had to jump through so many hoops. Bays responded that she copied the man’s email to administration. “I apologize in advance for the frustration and lack of ability to accommodate what one would think to be a fairly simple task,” she wrote. Then, to County Administrator Steve Howard, she said: “Please let me know what the plan is for this department. I’m contacted more frequently once again. Eric (Landon, Growth Management director) does a great job of helping when brought to his attention, but therein lies the conundrum. It shouldn’t have to be brought to his attention.” I wouldn’t recognize the permitting process if it walked in and had a chair right now. That stuff is WAY over my head. But Bays likely has a legitimate concern. Something isn’t right. — Speaking of something not right, nothing is happening with the streets at Inverness Villages 4. I mention it because, by golly, we need to. Fearing legal reprisals the county has clammed up on discussing IV 4, and we’re inching closer to summer thunderstorms. Is the county simply going to sit back while this neighborhood goes underwater in July? Residents are sending emails to individual commissioners hoping to find someone who will take up their plight. The battle between the county and non-developer, while significant, isn’t getting those roads improved. I’m not suggesting Citrus County taxpayers should pave the streets of this beleaguered neighborhood. What I am saying is the current situation is getting those folks nowhere. We need some out-of-the-box thinking. — Unrelated to emails in the small world department: The photo I used Monday of the bee sign? A few people got it right — U.S. 41 near Oak Forest south of Floral City. But the winners of Just Wright Citrus T-shirts and stickers are Rick and Kate Shew who own Wild Water Apiary, and noticed their own sign right away on the blog. Rick reached out to me, and this week I’ll be paying a visit. Have a sweet Tuesday, friends. Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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October 2024
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