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Blog: Commission Strikes Out By Taxing Kids
September 2, 2009
The Escambia County Commission will strike out Thursday night if they vote to tax children.
The commission will consider a recommendation at their Thursday meeting that would have non-profit athletic associations assessed a fee of $10 per child, per sport after October 1.
Currently, athletic associations that use county-owned parks for little league sports do not pay for the use of the parks. Instead, the athletic associations maintain and manage the parks in exchange for their use. The athletic associations charge players a fee to participate on organized teams. The fees along with concession sales go to the athletic associations. In turn, the associations maintain the parks — from cutting the grass to making repairs to changing light bulbs. The county does not actively participate in or fund the maintenance of a park like Bradberry in Walnut Hill or Don Sutton in Molino.
Now the Escambia Commission will consider slapping a $10 tax on every child that plays ball. Moms and dads that are already out of work will be forced to pay another $10 that will go into the general fund of Escambia County. There’s no promise, not even the slightest hint, that the extra ten bucks per child will go back to the athletic parks. The $75,000 in extra money could be used to pave a road, fund the jail, prevent layoff or buy cars for a couple of administrators.
There’s no arguing that the county needs more funding — but taxing children that want to play ball?
“That ridiculous to do that,” Steve Hanks, president of Northwest Escambia Little League said. “It not going to do anything but hurt a lot of kids. It’s tough enough now for parents to afford for their children to play.”
It’s also tough on many parents who selflessly volunteer countless hours at the county-owned parks.
Volunteers “give their time to make a difference in the community and a positive impact on future generations,” Arty Kleinatland, president of the Molino Recreation Association wrote in a comment on NorthEscambia.com. “If the county can’t afford to pay the salary for oversight of the operations to give the children a place to play organized ball and learn the skills ball teaches at a young age, then they should supplement the salary from another avenue and not roll the burden back to the already strained families in the community.”
Is $75,000 important enough to tax kids that play ball? We think not.
Sandy Jennings, bureau chief for the county’s Neighborhoods/Community Services Bureau, should have never recommending taxing kids. And now the only clear action for the Escambia County Commission is for each and every member to vote against the proposal.
Members of the public should express their opinion TODAY in three ways: Call not just your commissioner but all five of them; email each one, and post your comments below for them to read publicly. Urge your friends to do the same.
Wilson Robertson
(850) 595-4910 email district1@co.escambia.fl.us
Gene Valentino
(850) 595-4920 email district2@co.escambia.fl.us
Marie Young (Chair)
(850) 595-4930 email district3@co.escambia.fl.us
Grover Robinson (Vice Chair)
(850) 595-4940 email district4@co.escambia.fl.us
Kevin White
(850) 595-4950 email district5@co.escambia.fl.us
Comments
18 Responses to “Blog: Commission Strikes Out By Taxing Kids”
I SUGGEST THAT 10 COMMISSIONERS GIVE UP $7500 EACH FROM THEIR SALARIES TO MATCH THIS ACT OF WANTON THIEVERY ON THEIR PART.
TAX POLITICIANS NOT CHILDREN.
Find some other way, not the kids!
William,
Thank you. Email sent. I am awaiting Ms Jennings reply.
John — here’s the info you wanted:
Sandy Jennings
937-2160
spjennin@co.escambia.fl.us
Does anyone have the contact info for Sandy Jennings, bureau chief for the county’s Neighborhoods/Community Services Bureau?
Maybe she need some e-mails and phonecalls too…
Update — Comm. White has told NorthEscambia.com that he will vote against this “kiddie tax”. Comm. Valentino will not be at Thursday’s meeting due to a death in the family. Call & email Comms. Young, Robertson and Robinson and express your opinions.
John — Sandy Jennings, bureau chief for the county’s Neighborhoods/Community Services Bureau, made the recommendation.
Commissioner White has indicated that he will vote against this $10 per child fee.
Who made the recommendation to the County Commissioners to add the fee in the first place?
Like everyone, I am astonished at the audacity of our commisioners. Of course, in District 5, Mr.White was RE-ELECTED. I didnt vote for him for this very reason. Any representative of the largest district in Escambia County that cant have a meeting with his constituents further north than the Extension Center needs to go. 2 years and counting. Maybe people will wake up and see more and better representation is needed. Everyone call and express your opinion on how 10 more dollars can hurt. Let the commision know. Just my ranting and raving.
Has anyone who reads/has heard of this increase read the article a few weeks back in the PNJ about the “worth” of each county commissioner, not only here in Escambia County, but Santa Rosa as well?
I certainly do, and with the incomes that these political figures have, with at least $74,000 of it being their commissioners salary, I think it’s time a voice be heard to stop all of this non-sense. I know the commissioners themselves had no one single hand in raising the fee for the licenses, tags, registrations, etc., and they think that an increase of $10 to single registrants ball fees isn’t much, but come on. Not everyone in this county has a “second” or part-time job, that pays $74,000. I know I don’t. I won’t even have a job here in a few months.
I have seen the up-keep on these parks. Last I recall, it was being done individually by the ball players and their families and volunteers in the communities, with special days set aside for those “park clean up” days. As I recall, it was voted against any county maintenance also; it was to all fall back on the participants of the parks. Has that changed? Please correct me there if it has.
I suppose that they want this extra $10 to help fund that ridiculous Maritime Park on the Bayfront, at our expense, so it won’t have to come out of their funds. Taht’s a waste. . .
What I am getting at is that each of these commissioners do need to have their salaries greatly reduced! It’s a plain and simple fact. I know I’m not the only person in this county that feels this way either. The Governor of the Great State of Florida appoints these salaries for each county/district. . .Why they are all so much, I have no idea, but they all do need to be reduced.
Maybe then we wouldn’t be burdened with these extra increases everytime the County wants to do something, that not every citizen in this county agrees with. After all, aren’t you just supposed to be the “voice” for the citizens, commissioners?
I have already contacted my commissioner and requested that he vote against the tax increase on kids activities. The county has already pulled the plug on the kids and require them to pay for everything like grass cutting, maintenance, power, water, trash, upgrades, ect…. What use to be a burden on the county, has now turned into a source of revenue. When will it stop? Sad!!!!!!!! Very Sad!!!!!!
My only regret is that I will not be able to vote against all five of the big spenders. Instead of using good common sense during the good years and putting some of the pie back for another day we invested in a soccer complex among other worthless projects that was a boondoggle from the gitgo. So goes the way our elected officials think these days. Their attitude has simply been[we'll go back to the voters and get more if we need it.] Well guess what, the voters don’t have anymore to give them.
Dear Escambia County Commissioners,
For the record, my family and I are against all the new “fees” that y’all want to vote in. Stop raising taxes, start cutting spending. I’m a taxpayer and a voter.
Where will it end? Unfortunately, not until another three years, four months–if we survive that long.
I don’t have a child involved with this particular topic, so I am looking at it from an outsiders objective and this is pretty rediculous! What about the people that take their children to the parks to play on the playground equipment, or people who use the parks to walk or run. Gonna make them pay taxes too?
It seems to me that since our economy has taken a nose dive into what is now our current resession, politicians are looking for all cracks and crevices they can, to add a tax too, in order to generate more funds to bail them out.
How in the world they think that citizens can pay a tax on top of a tax on every single item and aspect of our lives is beyond me. And they think that it can be done on minimum wage jobs or like many now, with no jobs at all. I say that
politicians and the debts they have put the U.S in, is the reason that all the good paying industrial jobs are MIA now. Our own government has sold us out to foriegners and now they want us to pay them more taxes for their screw ups.
If things get much worse, everyone who is fortunate enough to have a job, might as well say they work for nothing but TAXES! Enough already…where does it end?
I have 3 children that love to play t-ball. Luckily Molino decreased t-ball registration fees this past year and we were able to play again. I like to keep the kids active and involved, but our property tax notice just came and it has gone up. Our tag renewals have just more than doubled and now there could be a tax on our ball playing. I dread to see what next week brings in Escambia County. We ALL will be watching this vote by the commission.
Why don’t the Commissioner’s Take a pay cut just Like the rest of US. This is why people Loses faith in there Political figures. Always wanting more and give Less to the taxpayers and Communities. I would say that this latest event ” SHOCK”S” Me. But I have come to realize that NOTHING Shocks me anymore out of the ” ALL” Government. What a shame!!!!!!!!!!
Way to go politicians! In an already sluggish economic area, let’s add another tax. Voters should remember this at the next election. Instead of trying to raise revenue, why don’t you explore another idea-reduce spending!