Landscaping costs in the three Highlands County incorporated areas: (budgeted costs vary wildly, and shouldn't be directly compared, since most employees perform several tasks not connected with landscaping, while grant funding varies and pays for many improvements.) • Highlands County-$2.5 million yearly budget for landscaping of 40 county owned properties which includes the cost of a four-person, full-time department. • Avon Park-$52,000 of Avon Park city funding goes to contractor Cutting Edge, which maintains the U.S. 27 corridor, the Main Street mall and other city properties. Inmates perform much of the landscaping at no cost to the city, as is the custom in many areas of the county. Five recreation department employees oversee upkeep of the city ball fields with a $16,000 yearly budget. ...more

February 10, 2008

The time has come where the middle class taxpayer is just about stretched to the limit financially. The new homestead exemption helped somewhat, but the local governments will need additional taxes to keep the level of services they offer, especially law enforcement. ...more

February 6, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners are not pleased with plans to hire three new top administrators at an extra cost of about $300,000 per year. At their meeting today, the five commissioners, three of whom must run for re-election this year, will consider hiring the first division director in the county's history. On Monday, at the county's annual "visioning session," Commissioners Don Bates, Guy Maxcy and Barbara Stewart said they were less than happy with the prospect of what Bates called "adding another layer of administration" to county government. The price tag to do that — adding three employees with the title of "division director" — will be between $190,000 at the low end, to $360,000 per year at the top end of the salary schedules. The county commission had created the new positions last year to increase efficiency. Three new people will be hired, while the fourth position has already gone to Rick Helms, who went from "assistant county administrator" to the new position of "assistant county administrator/director of the division of administrative services." ...more

February 5, 2008

The local officials and newspapers are bashing Amendment One, but the state and the people want local officials to reduce spending to get the taxes under control. But, what do our local commissioners do just in the last couple of weeks? They create four new director positions at salaries ranging from $65,000 to $123,000. They don't care what we the people want or what the state says needs to be done. They snub their noses at the governor and legislature. Hopefully, our state officials will stand up like men and women and force these out-of-control politicians to do what the people want. If not, you will see more leaving Florida than coming. ...more

January 29, 2008

Euros? Dollars? Pounds? Gisele Bundchen insists she's perfectly happy with them all, again denying reports that the Brazilian supermodel is shunning the weak U.S. dollar in favor of European currency. ...more

January 10, 2008

I don't want this to sound like a personal attack because I didn't know Robert Nolte personally, but I just now deleted his e-mail address from my address book and it made me feel ... well ... hopeful. I wish him a wonderful retirement. ...more

January 2, 2008

Regarding "Official: Few At FSU Cheated" (Metro, Dec. 20): Something must be wrong with me. I can't seem to get excited about the news that some athlete-students at Florida State University cheated on an online music history course. Why an athlete needs to know anything about music history in the first place baffles me. Why not just let athletes be athletes, music students can study music history, and the other students can study subjects relevant to their major? After all, the athletes are only there to provide entertainment for the alumni, make money for the school, and allow the coaches to live the high life with their huge salaries. The athletes are not there to impress anyone with their musical knowledge. ...more

December 26, 2007

Despite a hiring freeze and other cost-savings measures in place at the state's 11 public universities, President Bernie Machen has received an extension and a healthy pay boost from the University of Florida trustees. ...more

December 22, 2007