A government too far

It ain't just public golf courses that should be returned to the private sector. Our county, Alachua, in North Central Florida has gone and is continuing to go the way of the non-ratables.

Much of the county land is off the tax roles, in fact 44% of County real property is not taxed. Compared to some other counties in the state: Marion and Duval counties each have exempted 31% of the real property; Broward, 23%; and Dade has 21% of the real property exempted from taxes.

The Alachua County burden for real estate taxes and the funding of government falls directly onto the backs of the residents and commercial businesses while competing government businesses and exempt properties skate-by, tax free (e.g., hospitals, colleges and universities, golf courses, etc.).

The county is the proud home of the University of Florida (non-taxable properties); several state parks, e.g., 7000 acre San Felasco Hammock, 22,000 acre Paynes Prairie Preserve; the Ironwood Golf Course; the University of Florida golf course, and also, the 1146 acre Gainesville Regional Utilities, Deerhaven Generating Station likewise off the tax rolls.

Added to these exempt properties are the many administrative, law enforcement, maintenance and other government locations owned by county, city, state and federal agencies within the county.

Alachua County has migrated into one of the highest tax counties within the state of Florida. To add insult to injury, until recently the county had a one half percent sales tax assessment to allow for purchase of additional properties to be placed in the county land reserve. Not to be outdone by real property and sales tax assessments, the county has levied a five cents per gallon tax on gasoline intended for roads and mass transit projects.

Our county commissioners would like to add more taxes. Maybe they could match the City of Gainesville and buy a golf course. A recently closed commercial golf course is available.

The city, not to be outdone in keeping commercial businesses off the tax roles recently formed a Limited Liability Partnership between the Gainesville Regional Utilities (an arm of Gainesville City government) and American Renewables to build a biomass power plant ...to be off the tax rolls, of course.

While generation of electricity using the biomass method is a controversial topic, nevertheless, the City Commission voted to pursue the project. Beginning in 2013, the new plant is expected to generate 100 megawatts of new energy for the area.

The new biomass plant will be located on the 1146 acre Deerhaven Generating Station property.

As an aside, fuel for the plant will be supplied by the forestry industry ostensibly from the waste product of the vast lumber and pulp tree cuttings that take place throughout North Florida.

Florida must come to a more equitable method of financing state, county and city government. The disproportional distribution of state facilities across counties and municipalities begs the question of fair treatment for all taxpayers. Citizens within the various locales of the state should not be penalized for having a university, a government owned power plant, a prison or other government owned facility located within their respective communities.

In our capitalistic society, governments should also remove themselves from ownership of properties better left to the private sector whether power generation facilities or golf course facilities.

Notable exceptions to this private sector rule that must be made are the social safety net services and the public education of our children and young adults.