The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, October 26, 1961, page 1 (of 24)

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THE Coral Gables Times

THE CITY BEAUTIFUL Vol. 36, No. 37 24 Pages Thursday, October 26, 1961 Phone HI 3-1661 Price 10c

Tom's at Center But Never Hears the Cheers

By RAYMOND LANG Times Reporter Of the 11 positions on a football team, it's the center who must know precisely when to snap the ball as the quarterback yells signals. Tom Swilley is the varsity center for Coral Gables High School's team. And Tom Swilley is deaf. How does he know when to act? The 18-year-old Cavalier senior, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Swilley, 414 Majorca Ave., told about the simple, effective system he's worked out with the two quarterbacks, Larry Blume and Ron Hasencamp. In the huddle, Tom reads the quarterback's lips to find out what the play is. The huddle breaks up and the team lines down on the scrimmage line. Tom bends over the ball. If he's not sure whether the ball will be hiked on a count of one or two, he puts two fingers behind him. (If he knows when to hike the ball, the rhythm of the chant tells him when.) If the count is to be one, the quarterback puts his fingers over just one of Tom's two outstretched fingers. If the count is two, the quarterback grips both of them. And if the count is three, he pulls up one of Tom's fingers. "If you have desire to do something, nothing can stop you," Tom said. "You've got to give blood, sweat, tears and time. That's the only way you can do anything." Tom said when he was about four of five, he had caught either chicken pox or the mumps. He had a high fever. "And the fever damaged the nerve that sends the impulse from the ear to the brain that tells you what the word is," said the crew-cut, blue-eyed youth. What Tom lets you know in no uncertain terms, is that he's going to get out of life what he wants, despite what some might regard as an overwhelming handicap. He owes a lot to head coach Nick Kotys, he said. "I consider him one of the greatest coaches. "I know he can get something out of you that you don't think you can do." Tom is doing a lot. He's not only a standout on the football team, but has a big academic load. Every weekday morning, from 7:20-10:20 a.m., Tom attends the Dade County Aviation School on Le Jeune Road opposite the airport. After aviation classes (he was third in his class in reciprocal and jet engines) he heads for his classes at Gables High. He carries a C average at both schools. What about after high school? "I've always wanted to be a pilot when I was young. But my hearing makes that difficult. "But I haven't given up. I still want to go into aviation or become a teacher." Tom's father is dean of boys at Ada Merritt Junior High.

Reassessment Underway; 1 of 5 Pays Little Tax

By MAURICE LABELLE Times Reporter Approximately one of every five homeowners in exclusive Coral Gables pays little or just token city taxes. Incredible perhaps, but true. This fact has caused the City Commission to take stock of the situation and order, the tax assessor to undertake a comprehensive reassessment program of the entire city. That reassessment has nearly reached the half way point and is soon to be turned over by the tax assessor to the Commission for its study and evaluation. But the reassessment figures will mean nothing in themselves until a tax rate is determined. Assessed value itself is meaningless without the setting of millage and its breakdown. How are the new assessments being figured? The criteria are 75 per cent of 1961 construction costs and 50 per cent of 1961 land sales. How does this differ from the present criteria? The present assessment method calls for the use of 100 per cent of 1941 construction costs and 40 per cent of 1954-55 land sales figures. In effect what this will do is double building values and increase land values 21⁄2 times. A building now assessed at $10,000 would become a $20,000 property. This does not mean that taxes would double, or even necessarily be increased. There are too many variables to predict whether any given piece of property would increase or decrease. But this much can be said: The effect would be to reduce the value of the $5,000 homestead exemption and properties assessed at the lower end of the spectrum would pay more taxes than they do now. Those property owners now paying taxes only on debt service would be drawn into paying for operating services on which they have been getting a free or nearly free ride. Depreciation is another factor that will enter into the re-assessment program. At present it is two per cent per year, deductible six per cent every three years with a maximum depreciation at the rate of 10 per cent for buildings constructed from 1951-55; 15 per cent 1946-50; 20 per cent 1941-45; 25 per cent 1936-40 and 30 per cent 1901-35. If assessments were doubled on personal property assessments, the tax would depend again on the rate set. The criterion now is 15 per cent. A $10,000 building nets a $1,500 assessment. Minus the $1,000 exemption, the assessment becomes $500. At the present rate of $19 per $1,000, the tax becomes $9.50. By doubling the building value, the tax would be $19, but it has been suggested that the rate would be reduced to $11 per $1,000 to produce a tax of $11. The City Commission is also planning to study the commercial personal property forms used by the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Miami and Dade County with an eye toward possible revision of these forms. Last major reassessment in Coral Gables occurred in 1950. In 1956, all land parcels were reassessed.

What It Means

What does doubling reassessment mean? It does not mean your taxes will double—or necessarily even increase. That depends on the millage rate set, how the millage is apportioned and how much money the City needs to operate. Doubling the assessment would, however, reduce the effect of the $5,000 homestead exemption. The tax bills you just received from the city are in no way involved in this program; neither are Metro's bills.

Meter Girls Lose Appeal; To Try Again

The verdict is in on Coral Gables' meter girls: Guilty as charged. Five members of the Coral Gables Trial Board found unanimously that Shirley Searle and Norweida Barrow were guilty of insubordination and falsifying parking tickets. They denied a separate request by Miss Barrow for a hearing on a three-day suspension prior to being fired back in March of this year. "We're going to appeal it, naturally," said Mrs. Searle aft- (See Meter, page 2)

CITY ATTORNEY Ted Semple (left) and his assistant, William Burton, confer in district court last week over the Brasher case before Judge Cannon. (Staff photo)

City Plunks Down $6,225 In Case of Former Cop

The Brasher case came to an abrupt end Friday in Dade County Circuit Court — more than three years later. And the City of Coral Gables lost. Circuit Court Judge Pat Cannon ordered City officials to settle or face contempt of court action. "I remind counsel that this is payday," Judge Cannon told City Attorney Ted Semple, Assistant City Attorney William Burton and Frank Guilford, special counsel for the Retirement Board. Counsel had come prepared to settle, but not for the amount asked for by Capt. Floyd Brasher's attorney, E. F. P. Bringham. Brasher, retired in 1958 following a heart attack during his extension beyond normal retirement, had sought $7,153 from the City. He claimed that the heart attack was service incurred. The City claimed it was not. (See Brasher, page 2)

Price of Times Finally Going Up--10c a Month

Effective Nov. 1, the price of this newspaper will increase to 35 cents a month, $4.20 a year. It is the first raise in our prices in many years, despite the fact that all the ingredients which go into our product have increased considerably in cost during that time. The monthly increase will be shared with our carrier salesman force.