County Pulls Maneuver to Permit
Taxation on Countryisde's Residents
Without Their Representation
..More on the Radio Rd. MSTU

The scope of the original County Ordinance (No. 86-84) was to provide landscaping of the median on Radio Rd. between Airport Pulling and Santa Barbara Blvd. Before the Ordinance was created, all the property taxing units within the boundaries of the Radio Rd. MSTU were asked for their approval. This included the residents of Countryside, Embassy Wood/Glen Eagle, Fox Fire, Berkshire Lakes, Briarwood, and several of the manufactureredMSTU and create the ordinance..

The County transportation officials and the County Commissioners had to approve the Board of Directors for the Radio Rd. MSTU. Those approved for the Board represented Windjammer, Berkshire Lakes, and Briarwood. Those approved for the MSTU taxing unit in Countryside, Fox Fire, and Glen Eagle communities were not represented on the Radio Rd. MSTU Board of Directors. Two years ago, Countryside resident, John Weber, applied as a private concerned citizen and was accepted on the Radio Road MSTU Board.

HOWEVER, IN 2002, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED ORDINANCE 2002-59 WHICH EXPANDED THE RADIO ROAD MSTU TO INCLUDE DEVONSHIRE BLVD. THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED ONLY BY THE RADIO ROAD MSTU BOARD MEMBERS. THE RADIO ROAD MSTU BOARD DID NOT REPRESENT THREE OF THE LARGEST PROPERTY TAXING UNITS IN THE MSTU. THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO SURVEY THE RADIO ROAD MSTU PROPERTY TAXPAYERS FOR THEIR APPROVAL OF EXPANDING THE ORIGINAL MSTU OR EVEN NOTIFY THESE PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE EXPANSION. THIS IS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

I BELIEVE COUNTRYSIDE, GLEN EAGLE, AND FOX FIRE COMMUNITIES HAVE A CASE TO PUT TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO REQUEST RESCINDING THE COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2002-59. HOWEVER, WE THE PROPERTY TAXPAYERS ON THE RADIO ROAD MSTU NEED TO VOICE OUR SUPPORT FOR RESCINDING THIS ORDINANCE TO OUR MASTER BOARD DIRECTORS.

I recommend you drive down Devonshire Blvd. and see if you believe, as I do, that this roadway that now has curbing, lighting, grass, irrigation, shubbery, and trees looks fine as it is. The Radio Road MSTU Board is planning to redo the curbing, re-do the landscaping to bring it from a level "C" to "A" to match the current median on Radio Road using our future special assessment tax dollars.-------Marlene Sherman