annexation position

Until The County says, in writing, that THEY will be responsible for any further pollution cleanups in the proposed annexation areas, I would have a very difficult time voting for it. The supposed 2.3 million in benefits are based on 2008 numbers, when property value were 30-40% higher. Until those numbers are adjusted to show the actual values NOW and the further projected 14.5% drop during this year, the mitigation numbers AND the overall benefits do NOT reflect accurately what we would gain from this action. Doral is paying one million a year in mitigation fees for properties that are worth 40% less today, than when they were annexed. Until the zoning is resolved where WE have total and complete control over the quality and quantity of the businesses in the proposed annexation areas, I would have a hard time voting in favor of this proposal. Its called doing DUE DILIGENCE, a concept that the Mayor and Council havent attempted in a long while, but is a process that should be done PRIOR to any major action. When one buys a house they look at it for possible structural damage, termites, traffic patterns, suitability, schools, taxes, financing, flood potential,etc. THAT is called DUE DILIGENCE, and the principles are the same here. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

discrepancy

What are the chances that the 150 million discrepancy between Gyms numbers and Corradinos numbers is the drop in property values over the past year or so? Gym said the property taxable value for the areas under consideration were 736 million but it isnt clear if those numbers were from 2008 or 2009. Probably 2008. If you deduct 150 million to account for a drop in property values in those areas over the past year you get 586 million dollar value of the property taxes in the areas under consideration, and considerably less income. The 150 million difference is about 23% of the 736 million figure and would cause a 23% drop in the net too, to around 1.8 million. When the 386k in mitigation fees are subtracted we are talking 1.4 net, and that doesnt allow for the projected drop in property values this year, which would lower that number again. I am not an accountant but those numbers are not nearly as attractive as were the proposed original numbers. One million-dollar pollution cleanup and all our benefits are wiped out. We need accurate, up-to-date numbers so we can make as accurate a projection as possible. Dr. Mel P. Johnson