We have noticed a “procedure” being utilized at Village meetings that needs to be exposed and explained.

The “thumbs up” signal given by Council members on an issue is not a procedure that is covered in any Village rules or procedures.

The Village Charter includes provisions that uphold the rights of our citizens.

We are currently going through a Village Charter review process. It is a process that demonstrates the significance of Charter provisions.

It explains why charter provisions cannot be changed without approval by voters on the November ballot.

The use of the “thumbs up” by Council members and the Village Manager circumvents the ability of the public to comment and for the issue on the table to be discussed as part of our decision making process.

The facts:

Section 5. Village Council. (8) ( c ) states: All actions of the village council shall be by ordinance, resolution, or motion.

All three of the vote mechanisms for action give residents the right to public comment before a “final” vote. It appears the “Thumbs Up”, a pseudo voting mechanism, is used regularly by this council to avoid public comment requirements.

We know that Julius Caesar used the “thumbs up” (and down) with great success at the Roman Colosseum but the Village rules did not apply there.

This “vote” often provides controversial direction, and the start of often expensive and unpopular projects that never get to the final approval stage.

This needs to stop.

 

The prior church property now owned by the Village got a “thumbs up” for a “for sale by owner” sign on the property: Bought for $4M on Aug 12, 2024 in spite of a grim report on the condition of the structure… and no real plan for future use. 

Tuesday night, the agenda had a discussion item, “Village Owned Properties” —-  the former Silver and Spice, Machado property and the former church. No tabs, no staff reports, no explanation in advance.

All three properties are in need of a plan.

For almost two years, the $4 million church property has been sitting unused except for some public works equipment stored in the parking lot. 

With a “thumbs up” the Council decided to direct staff to put a “For Sale by Owner” sign on the property. No public workshop, no public discussion, no price/value analysis, and not even public comment at the meeting… just a claim the council had agreed to sell the property a year ago and never followed up.

 

The Village is continuing to make poor decisions at taxpayer expense.

The only people benefiting from our mistakes may be the real estate agents. Do we have a designated “Village real estate agent?” If we do, do they work at a deeply reduced commission rate?

 

Sun Community RV Park at MM87.4:  The 55 stilt homes on the Sun Community property are registered as mobile homes, though they are not mobile homes and not mobile!The property is an RV park with homes on stilts. No mobile homes.

The homes pay a vehicle registration fee of less than $100/yr and no property taxes.

Dwellings within MOBILE HOME PARKS in Florida can be treated as “mobile homes” and registered as vehicles, even if they are not mobile homes. This is an effort to ensure some affordability throughout the state where so many mobile home parks provide the area’s most affordable place to live.

The Sun Community Islamorada Park is not what the legislators had in mind when this statute was enacted.

Mayor Don Horton has given up on the legislature amending the statute. Why?

All Legislation is made to be changed. We just need a carve out in the statute to exclude homes like these. Perhaps make short term rentals in mobile home parks illegal if using this “Vehicle Registration” angle.

I was told several years ago, that the TDC legislature’s funding requirements were not going to be revised. That has proven to be wrong. TDC funds have recently been used to cover more that direct tourism expenses.

Engage our lobbyists (if they don’t also work for Sun Communities) to seek change to these MM87.4 homes.

Engage our legislators. If they can’t fix this, have them explain why… at a public meeting.

These homes are selling for $600,000 to $900,000.  And most all of them are short term rentals.

I challenge anyone to take a look at the site and tell me it is “affordable.”

Those 55 stilt homes selling for $600,000 to $9800,000 should be taxed as real property.

Horton and Village Attorney, John Quick, have a plan to create a special taxing district for the property.  The Village would charge the 55 stilt homes an annual assessment to cover their share of our fire protection cost.  

The Village would have to hire a consultant to determine what portion of the Village cost, for fire protection only, should be the responsibility of each of the 55 homes.

Another consultant?

A simple “thumbs up” from council gave the staff direction to start the process. No real public discussion, no price/value analysis and not even public comment at the meeting.

So what would the Village get if we do the special taxing district, which could only cover fire protection costs, not emergency medical services, not Public Works, Parks and Rec, or any other Village departments that provide local services?

If taxed as real property, a Sun Community stilt home with taxable value of $500,000 would pay about $4,500 per year in property taxes.

Of that, at 2.65 mills, the Village would get about $1,350/home.  At best the special assessment would provide about $340 per home; less than $20,000 total for all 55 homes. That is far less than the increase in pay the council members will receive if we pass the charter amendment in November increasing their pay to $1500/month.

     

The Islamorada Community Alliance believes there is a better way – a way that would require the 55 stilt homes to be recognized as real property.

The Florida law treats all dwellings in mobile home parks as if they are mobile homes and eligible for $88/yr vehicle registration instead of property tax. 

Why is Sun Community Islamorada considered a mobile home park? There isn’t a single mobile home on the site.

Currently the 55 homes are all non-conforming uses!

Shouldn’t we change the zoning so they are not zoned Mobile Home Park? They are not a mobile home park. They are an upscale ocean front RV Park and housing project.

Council, do the hard work we elected you to do. Seek changes to the law.

We do not subscribe to taking the path of least resistance for a token return.

Fight for the right thing for the taxpayers! 

Tom