Clearwater to lower millage rate

CLEARWATER – If a staff proposal is approved in September, Clearwater’s property tax millage rate will be lowered for the first time in a decade. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value.Clearwater residents currently pay 5.75 mills, but city staffers have proposed lowering that to 5.42 mills. Even with the decrease, the city expects to collect $7 million more than the $45 million it took in this year. That’s because redevelopment and soaring property values, especially on the waterfront, have raised the city’s tax base to $10.6 billion, almost double the $5.7 billion it was just four years ago.The millage reduction won’t be a huge windfall for homeowners, however. A $143,000 house with a $25,000 homestead exemption and a 3 percent increase in assessed value would save just $16.Another Katrina survivor wants his dog backIn the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Humane Society of Pinellas brought 288 displaced animals to its Clearwater shelter and found new homes for many of them. But it turned out that not all of them had been abandoned by their owners.First, Steven and Dorreen Couture of St. Bernard Parish, La., accused the society of wrongfully allowing their St. Bernard, Master Tank, to be adopted by Pam Bondi of Tampa and wrongfully allowing their shepherd mix, Nila, to be adopted by Rhonda Rineker of Dunedin. When Bondi and Rineker refused to return the dogs, the Coutures sued them and the society.Now, a lawyer for Victor Marino of Chalmette, La., has filed a complaint with the Pinellas County Department of Justice and Consumer Services, accusing the society of wrongfully allowing Marino’s 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Max, to be adopted by Jeremy and Tiffany Mansfield of Clearwater. The agency says no laws were broken in the adoption, but it will examine the society’s financial records to make sure there were no improper fundraising tactics used in connection with the Katrina animals.Living in Clearwater has its perksClearwater citizens who want to learn more about their city are invited to sign up for the fifth annual Citizen’s Academy. The 10-week program will give participants an inside look at the workings of various city departments.Classes will meet from 6 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday from Sept. 26 to Nov. 28. The 20 participants, who will be chosen by a selection committee, must have their applications in by Aug. 11. Application forms can be obtained at www.myclearwater.com or by calling 562-4682.‘Leagles’ to help with homeworkThe Young Lawyers’ Division of the Clearwater Bar Association will kick off its “Legal Eagles Homework Help” program from 4 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 at the North Greenwood Library, 905 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Refreshments will be provided and each participant will receive a backpack filled with school supplies. Thereafter, free homework help in all grade 1-8 subjects will be available from 3 to 5 each Tuesday afternoon starting Aug. 15. For more information, call 462-6895 or 562-4834.Beautification award winners announcedThe Parkwood Estates Mobile Home Park was named Neighborhood of the Quarter and four Homes of the Quarter were honored at last week’s Clearwater City Council meeting. Brian Langille’s 1960s Sunset Lake Estates home, at 1678 Souvenir Drive, received an award for its lush landscaping and renovated exterior.The Lake Belleview home of Ivan Flow and Shane Dellinger, at 1540 S. Prospect Ave., was honored for its interior makeover, landscaping, outdoor art and pond.Nelda Grant’s 1976 Oak Forest home, at 2766 Quail Hollow Road W., was singled out for its outdoor improvements, including a deep-well sprinkler system, brick courtyard and landscaping that features more than 15 types of trees, shrubs and plants. The Cedar Heights home of John and Debbie Carollo was lauded for its new French doors, irrigation system, updated fencing and enclosed pool and patio.The Coconut Restaurant, 1280 South Missouri Ave., received the Summer 2006 Business Beautification Recognition Award. New owner Ake “Eddie” Punyahotra was praised for turning the decrepit former fast food restaurant into a Thai eatery with a renovated exterior, attractive signage and improved lighting.