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City Says It Can't Offer Free Use Of Building

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By LAURA KINSLER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

DADE CITY - In a city where public meeting space is at a premium, the American Legion building on Church Avenue filled a need and did it for free.

The city-owned building hosted fundraisers for domestic abuse shelters. Volunteers met there every spring to help seniors with their tax returns or counsel first-time homebuyers. Every Sunday morning, members of Alcoholics Anonymous gather around the fireplace to fight their collective demons.

But the city can no longer afford to offer free meeting space to nonprofit groups. City commissioners have been wrestling with the idea of charging groups $50 an hour to rent the space. The city manager says the city should get rid of the building altogether.

"We've got to make some tough decisions this year," Mayor Scott Black said at Tuesday night's meeting. "I hate to be the bad guy. There's no shortage of good causes out there who like to use this building."

Black said those groups have other options, such as churches, the library or even using the city commission's meeting room.

He unsuccessfully pressed fellow commissioners to pass an ordinance Tuesday that would eliminate the fee waiver for nonprofit groups. The measure also would have required organized sports leagues, such as the YMCA or Police Athletic League, to pay for ball fields for practices and games.

City Manager William Poe said the city can no longer afford to keep the American Legion building.

"My preference would be that we give it back to the American Legion," Poe said in an interview Wednesday. "We don't have the money to pay for the upkeep, and I don't know if the city should be in the business of rentals."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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