The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, October 19, 1961, page 5 (of 24)

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LETTERS TO EDITOR From Brunstetter and Garris

EDITOR: The undersigned, M. B. Garris and Roscoe Brunstetter, have read with great interest your articles on page 6 of the Oct. 12th issue by Mr. Maurice Labelle. These articles are excellent and bring to the citizens of Coral Gables much information they ought to have about the financial history of our city. We believe it next to impossible to produce such historical articles a quarter of a century after the events happened and not have some inaccuracies creep into them. We find a few discrepancies and would greatly appreciate your making appropriate corrections in an early issue of our paper. They are as follows: 1. Our Congressman was J. Mark Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox had a notable career in Congress. He introduced and steered to passage the nation's first Municipal Bankruptcy Act. He, more than any other person, sponsored legislation to reorganize and strengthen our military air force and fields and put them in the good condition that enabled the United States to strike such devastating blows against our enemies in the second World War. Because of his invaluable services, Miami's International Airport is named in his honor. 2. Wyman supported Brunstetter in the election campaign. But Wyman opposed the debt settlement plan. It was in the campaign for ratification of the debt settlement that Wyman and Brunstetter clashed in open debate. 3. Brunstetter was never chairman of the National Democratic Committee of Coral Gables. He was chairman of the J. Mark Wilcox campaign committee when Wilcox ran for U.S. Senator. Honorable Claude Pepper, now a Coral Gables citizen, was then Senator and he was reelected by a large majority. 4. There were not eight candidates for the mayoralty. Only Brunstetter and Garris were candidates for Mayor. Shortly after the election Brunstetter and Garris composed all their campaign differences and became close friends. Their friendship has continued and they think will continue as long as they live. Mr. Garris took an active part in commission meetings. He and the other four Commissioners were in full accord on all matters of the debt refinancing. Your readers might be interested to know that the City and its creditors made two debt settlement agreements. The first was to issue $4,000,000 in bonds and assign to a trustee for the benefit of the creditors the City's unpaid taxes. Coral Gables, Inc., the successor to Coral Gables Corporation, brought suit and obtained a decree that all the City's tax levies had been invalid because the City had not levied a tax on personal property, and the State constitution requires that real and personal property be taxed equally. That decision invalidated the first debt settlement agreement, so the City had to proceed to make another agreement. The second agreement was the better agreement for the City. Incidentally, the City was able to go back and re-assess taxes on both real and personal property for three preceding years, which it did. ROSCOE BRUNSTETTER M. B. GARRIS P.S. Brunstetter wishes to say that Mr. M. B. Garris has been one of Coral Gables' most dedicated and valuable citizens.

Gables Traffic Is Safer This Year

Driving elsewhere in Dade County may not be safer, but Coral Gables has had fewer accidents and fewer killed in the first nine months this year than last year. Only two more persons have been injured, according to statistics released by the Coral Gables Police Department. So far this year, 1,145 accidents have been recorded, compared to 1,256 last year at the same time. Two persons have been killed, compared to three last year, but 419 injuries have been reported, slightly more than the 417 last year. September totals were also generally favorable. A total of 117 accidents were reported, compared to 154 for the same month last year. The same number of persons were killed-one-but more were injured, 48 to 36.

ORCHID PLANTS To Grow the Large Familiar Corsage Type Flowers

Bare Root Back Divisions from Fine Hybrid Cattleya Plants, In Assorted Colors... Only $1.50 per division (several bulbs) Free cultural instructions ... supplies available. MARCY ORCHIDS 6901 S.W. 97th Ave. Open Daily from 9-5 except Mon. and Tues.

Philbrick Funeral Homes "The Cost is a matter of Your Own Desire"

all (5) Locations Upon Request Monthly Payment Plan 145 205 275 305 345 390 425 445 UP COMPLETE Funeral Cost Index The PHILBRICK Funeral Homes Metal Caskets from $450 Hardwood Caskets from $460 Guaranteed Prices Cremation-add $50 MIAMI 660 W. FLAGLER CORAL GABLES 837 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. SOUTH MIAMI AT KENDALL, U.S. 1 AT S. W. 106TH ST. MIAMI SHORES 11415 N. E. 2ND AVE. HIALEAH - MIAMI SPRINGS OLIVE DR. AT OKEECHOBEE RD. FR 3-6363 Our Educational Department will furnish Detailed Information upon request without obligation...

Was City Taken for a Ride?

EDITOR: On numerous occasions we have attempted to increase the ad valorem tax revenues of Coral Gables by requesting the placement of certain tax exempt properties on the tax rolls. Specific reference was made in your newspaper to the tax exempt property com-...only referred to as the Old Youth Center site. As recently as July 8, 1961, the Board of Tax Equalization was advised in writing that the so-called "ten year lease" entered into between the City and the unrecorded owner of the property was a sham lease and that to all legal and practical intents and purposes, the lease, subject to a 30-day termination clause, was a mere 30-day lease. The property was allegedly leased for use as an off-street parking facility for 10 years from Nov. 1, 1958. The City Charter prohibits any tax exemption for off-street parking facilities maintained and operated by the City unless the facilities are owned by the City or leased by the City where the term of the lease shall be for not less than ten (10) years. Although the law is quite clear that "you cannot do indirectly what you cannot do directly" and the City Charter would preclude tax exemption for a thirty (30) day lease or any lease less than a bona fide ten (10) [?]ar lease, the tax evading "gimmick" of a thirty (30) day lease phrased to read as a. ten (10) year lease was conceived - to the detriment and financial loss of the City. The prophesy that the lease was designed to keep the valuable property off the tax rolls until it could be profitably sold, came true the other day with the announcement that it was sold or conveyed to a super market. But the heart of the matter is this: For three years now this valuable property was off the City and County tax rolls and as a result the City and County residents have been subjected to economic loss by someone's actions, actions that should never have been permitted or authorized. So what is the result? The City and County (based on the City's claim that the property was under lease to the City for 10 years) have exempted the property from taxation since November, 1958. The property served no useful purpose for the City since the few cars parked on the property could have been easily parked elsewhere and now the unrecorded owner can look at the City and remember Barnum's classic remark. Yes, Coral Gables was a "sucker" in this "lease" tax avoidance "gimmick" but let us hope that we shall not be "suckers" again. A thorough investigation of this entire matter by our new City Commission with a possible reference to the Dade County Grand Jury is in order and I trust that such an investigation will take place. I further trust that the City Commission instruct the tax assessor to levy taxes henceforth on the property and that steps be taken to levy and collect back taxes for the time the property was through "sham and artifice" kept off the tax rolls. BERNARD B. WEKSLER (Editor's note: The writer of this letter, an attorney, was an unsuccessful candidate for Coral Gables City Commission last spring. He has been in the forefront of those questioning some of the community's tax exempt properties, notably Doctors' Hospital. See editorial, Page 4.)

An Apartment? A Store? Both

A combination apartment house-store building is being built at 245-49 Catalonia Ave. by the owner, Freedie Daw, a general contractor. The $40,870 two-story building will have one apartment unit and two stores. The apartment will be two bed-room, one bath and include a porch.

Opening Soon DANTE'S ITALIAN KITCHEN SPECIALIZING IN FINE ITALIAN FOOD

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JUST AROUND THE CORNER to convenient shopping and banking in busy, beautiful, up-and-coming South Miami!

1ST BANK & TRUST COMPANY OF SOUTH MIAMI 5750 SUNSET DRIVE SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation "The Bank with a Smile" OPEN FRIDAY EVENINGS 6 to 8 • Drive in Service Available?