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Zephyrhills keeps tax rate as is

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 29, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - The city council voted Monday against a staff recommendation to raise property taxes and kept Zephyrhill's millage rate at 5.57 mills.

City Manager Steve Spina had asked the council to raise the millage rate to 5.7 mills, which would have added $6 a year to the tax bill for a $100,000 homesteaded property. The adjustment would have brought in an additional $71,000 citywide.

Councilmen Manny Funes and Luis Lopez supported the increase, saying it was negligible. "If I end up paying $11 more a year, to me that's no big deal," Lopez said.

Mayor Cliff McDuffie, who doesn't have a vote, urged the council to raise the rate for the first time in 15 years. "I think we're being overly cautious about keeping the millage rate down, and we're not going to be able to service our community," he said.

But a majority on the council disagreed. "For this year, I think we're OK," council President Jodi Wilkeson said.

Laura Kinsler

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