Ax the Tax hits Daytona Beach

As one observer put it, if the World's Most Famous Beach were run like a business, it would be out of business.

During the last four years, out of control spending, greed, lack of employee accountability,laziness and ignorance of the budget process are the Real reasons the Mayor and CityCommissioners increased our property taxes by 27% in 2002, with a proposed additionalincrease of 6.5% in 2003. This 33% property tax increases is one of the highest in the Nation!

This tax increase was so ridiculous that it caught the affention of Florida Ax the Tax crusader Doug Geutzloe in Orlando. (http://www.axthetax.org/ ) He evaluated the Commissions expenditures and determined that spending $2 million on a computer system that doesn'twork, $24,000 on plasma TV's that can't be found, $480,000 yearly on cable TV for the city, $8,000 for city employees annual picnic, $15,000 for a dog park and running the municipal golf course and Peabody Auditorium at a loss wasn't what the residents of Daytona Beach wanted or deserved. (See our Budget Lies Section for a complete accounting).

Geutzloe started a petition drive to rollback and freeze property taxes at 2001 rates; eliminate the Mayor and City Commissioners salaries and create the elected position of Chief Financial Officer to oversee and approve Commissioners filture spending.

Over 6,800 residents signed petitions to place a property tax rollback referendum questionon the November ballot and let voters decide what they want. That's almost as many resident as voted in last years election.

Mayor Asher claimed that the City Charter allows only the City Commission to set property tax rates. What Asher apparently chose to ignore is Florida State Statutes which allow for citizens to petition for tax relief.

It appears Mayor Asher and City Commissioners don't like a democratic process which lets the voters decide, rather than live with what politicians determine is 'best' for them. If the City Commission elects not to accept the petitions, they will anger 6,800 voters, be sued and lose under State statues for non-compliance and forced to place the referendum on the ballot anyway.

If the Commission would have stopped wasting our tax dollars on business ventures that fail, make city employees actually work for a living, tax the Speedway and other businesses that profit from Special Events and collect the $3 million in code enforcement fines that are outstanding, we wouldn't have a budget problem or double digit property tax increase.We're certain the next elected City Commission will get the voters message.

September 1st, 2003
The Slow Death of Democracy in Daytona Beach
The City Commission sued tax reformer Doug Geutzloe and 'Ax-The-Tax' today in a sad attempt to deny 8,000 petition signing voters their right to place a referendum on the November ballot rolling back property taxes, eliminating the Mayor and City Commissioners salaries and adding the position of Chief Financial Officer.

Florida State Statutes supersede the City Charter and provide for the right of citizens to petition local government for tax relief Apparently the City Commission, afraid that it's sweetheart deals' with developers and special interest groups would be at risk, decided to violate the law and oppose the demands of 8,000 residents and voters.

The result is more of our tax dollars spent on needless litigation and a continued refused by our elected officials to take responsibility for their reckless spending of our money.

When the City loses this lawsuit, the referendum will either be placed on the November ballot or a we'll be forced to pay for an additional special election to vote on these referendum questions after November.

Please call the Mayor and City Commissioners directly to discuss your feelings regarding this issue:

Mayor 'Bud' Asher 386/671-8007
Zone 1-Rick Shriver 386/671-8001
Zone 2-Darlene Yordon 386/671-8002
Zone 3-Mike Shallow 386/671-8003
Zone 4-George Burden 386/671-8004
Zone 5-Yvonne Scarlett-Golden 386/671-8005
Zone 6-Charles Cherry 386/671-8006