Give away the fairgrounds? Not so fast, other commissioners say, or so goes the headline in this morning's Hernando Times. It seems that Commissioner Russell had urged his fellow commissioners to give the buildings and land at the fairgrounds site to the Hernando County Fair Association to remedy lease problems, disputes and squabbles of the past. Giving away taxpayers land has become a simple solution for Commissioner Russell. Common sense should dictate that before any discussion take place for the disposal of county properties, a complete commercial appraisal should be completed to determine the fair market value of this 35+ acres of prime real estate at the fairgrounds.
Does anyone recall the 10 acres of prime real estate in downtown Brooksville that was sold to a developer by the Hernando County government last year? It was the old hospital site on Ponce de Leon which sold for $1.2 million. This transaction occurred after Commissioner Russell urged his fellow commissioners that this was the best cure for the problems at the old hospital site. This site was sold without a commercial appraisal so no one will ever know if this was a "good deal" for county taxpayers.
Possibly the county commissioners should use their time more productively by reviewing another long term lease on county property. The combined county lease for Brooksville Regional Hospital, Spring Hill Regional Hospital and Pinebrook Medical Center has a "not to exceed" clause of approximately $980,000 year which includes a maximum of $500k for any increases in property taxes over a 40 year period. It is a little difficult to understand why this lease wouldn't be considered "shabby accounting" from the taxpayer's perspective when Oak Hill Hospital paid in an excess of $1.1 million in Ad Valorem taxes for their single site in 2007. Maybe the county commissioners should give this property back to Brooksville Regional's parent company HMA so this corporation will pay its fair share of Ad Valorem to the county coffers...
3 comments:
Ms. Covell, you should correct the statement about the hospital that there was no appraisal. In fact there was a commercial appraisal that valued the land and buildings at just over $1M, if I recall correctly, slightly less than the private company now rehabbing the buildings agreed to pay. You can confirm this with Mike McHugh or Larry Jennings. The Property Appraiser's valuation as of 1/1/06---the only tax valuation available at the time of last year's debate---was based on ongoing use of the buildings as a hospital. Once HMA moved out, the buildings could no longer be used for that purpose due to the restriction placed in the deed to the County. The commercial appraiser therefore valued the buildings as functionally obsolescent and contributing basically zero value to the site. However, through the work of Mr. McHugh, a buyer was found with a business plan to improve and use the buildings and get the property back on the tax rolls. Has anyone checked the Property Appraiser's web site for an updated 1/1/07 value of the hospital property? Looks to me like it has come down a lot from the unrealistic figures that were tossed around last spring at this time.
ALC you are spot on in your assessment here and the good old boys are at it again seeking to spin the giveaway of the hospital as beneficial to the county. I agree with you, it was a reckless disregard for the taxpayers property and its unfortunate that the inbred group of elected officials continues to protect their own little nests. They all need to go and a new wave of leaders should take over.
first comment sounds like our illustrious leader Big Al Mazourek. I am so sick and tired of the current leadership of our county, comment 2 sums it up...reminds me of that old Jackson Five song, "one bad apple..." except they are all bad. Come on November!
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