Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Coral Gables Times
Thursday, September 28, 1961, page 3 (of 26)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
Churches Make Up Largest Tax-Exempt Group Here
(Continued from page 1) more than $10.4 million in real estate. And the Veterans Hospital another $8.1 million. County parks make up another $5.5 million. But it is not these that have come into question. Doctors' Hospital, valued at $1.8 million by Blount but easily worth much more, Deerborne and Riviera Day schools, the Sottice property (old youth Center), University of Miami fraternities and other fraternal organizations raised the exemption questions. Those who raised them were Blount, City Commissioner Joe Murphy and Bernard B. Weksler, attorney and recent candidate for City Commission. In only one case, the Riviera Day School, was the objection sustained and the institution made to pay present and retroactive taxes. This is being contested in the Circuit Court. Blount or the City Commission, sitting as a Board of Equalization, have ruled that all exempt properties, with the exception of the Riviera School, are all non-profit educational, religious, charitable, literary, benevolent, fraternal or scientific institutions or used by the City for parking. Riviera, because of the manner in which it was incorporated and is operated, was ruled out. But individuals are also granted whole or partial exemptions. These are given to wheelchair cases, veterans, disabled persons, widows. Other individuals, such as Arthur B. McBride, has exemption on $14,500 property in front of the Veterans Hospital used by the City for parking. Others receive exemption because they participate in the "Zain Plan" parking lease agreement with the City whereby the city receives parking area in return for tax forgiveness. Ernst Rosenkrantz, at 707 Anastasia Ave. is one of several persons receiving exemptions because he is a wheelchair case. The Coral Gables Country Club, valued at a very conservative $151,950 before the new swimming pool and cabanas was added recently, also pays no taxes to the City, which owns and leases the property to club members. These are some of the exemptions accounting for approximately one-ninth of property in Coral Gables, 11%. A comparison with other municipalities is difficult, Blount pointed out. "I don't think that the exemptions are out of line," Blount said. Coral Gables has more exemptions than Miami Beach, a larger city, for instance because we have the University of Miami and Matheson Hammock Park and the Veterans Hospital which take up a large chunk of the available land Blount pointed out. At the same time, Blount indicated he wasn't entirely satisfied that the law couldn't be tightened in some cases.
Property That Isn't Taxed
Here is a list of the major tax-exempt properties in Coral Gables. A complete list is available at City Hall. City of Coral Gables | $10,482,500 County Parks | 5,528,250 University of Miami | 25,947,225 Arthur B. McBride | 49,875 St. Philip's Episcopal Church | 594,125 Coral Gables Country Club | 531,825 Coral Gables Methodist Church | 1,836,450 First Church of Christ Scientist | 488,600 Coral Gables Congregational Church | 431,100 Church of the Little Flower | 982,625 Veterans Hospital | 8,104,075 C. F. Carroll—Bishop of Diocese | 639,450 Granada Presbyterian Church | 391,125 St. Mark's Lutheran Church | 318,150 University Baptist Church | 1,287,825 Coral Gables Fraternal Assn. (Masons) | 106,575 Temple Judea | 319,550 Catalonia Cub Inc. (Knights of Columbus) | 129,500 Sisters of St. Joseph (St. Theresa's School) | 1,074,675 Coral Gables Women's Club | 122,325 St. James Lutheran Church | 201,250 First Christian Church | 187,775 Merrick Demonstration School | 753,025 Zamora Jewish Center | 210,175 Wesley Methodist Church | 197,750 General Conference Corp. (Seventh Day Adventists) | 254,975 St. Mary Baptist Church | 113,400 Musicians Club of America | 212,625 First Presbyterian Church | 1,445,675 Coral Gables Lodge 1676 Elks | 220,500 Coral Gables Baptist Church, Inc. | 177,450 Lamdee Inc.—Harry B. Smith Fraternity) | 154,875 Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity | 141,925 Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity | 266,350 Fla. Alpha Assn. Inc. | 199,825 Alpha Zeta Chapter of Phi Sigma | 121,625 Epsilon Beta House Corp. | 177,100 Alpha Omega Foundation of Zeta Beta Tau Frat. | 156,800 Zeta Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu | 192,850 Gamma Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi | 151,200 Omega Eta Holding Co. | 138,425 First Methodist Church of S. Miami | 263,725 Riviera Presbyterian Church | 220,150 Coco Plum Womans' Club | 112,000 Ponce De Leon Jr. High | 1,464,925 Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation (Doctors' Hospital | 1,852,900
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