The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, January 18, 1962, page 12 (of 28)

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We Bend Their Ears on How to Fix Metro

By MAURICE LABELLE Times Reporter We want more freedom from Metro, a steady parade of city officials and others told the Metropolitan Charter Review Board at the Jan. 11 public hearing. Will they get it? "There were more who think that Metro had done too little than that Metro had done too much," said Chairman James I. Keller Jr. in launching the town type meeting. Keller said that a recent University of Miami survey indicates that residents expected more than they got out of the county's pioneering form of government. This and other introductory comments about the background and history of the Metropolitan Home Rule government were gently ignored by the speakers as they told the board about their troubles with Metro. Mayor Robert L. Searle led the list of complaints. "... There are many things that people don't like about Metro government," Searle told the board. "Gentlemen, I don't have to tell you that people in the unincorporated areas have been enjoying a free ride..." Searle said. He went on to complain about free police and fire protection for suburbanites living out in the country. Then he got down to the business of etro charter chages that would give Coral Gables and other municipalities greater autonomy and eliminate the "tax inequities": Special purpose tax districts in which only the area receiving benefits would be assessed. Let Metro adopt and enforce minimum building and related codes and regulations for the entire county, but allow cities to set up and maintain higher standards if they wished. Franchise control only in the unincorporated areas. Set up minimum standards for all government units for any service or function and the power to take over if a municipality fails to perform to standard. Reduce the county commission from 13 to nine members elected from districts, taking into consideration municipal boundaries whenever possible. No abolition of cities without the consent of a majority of its electors. Return of traffic court to municipal control when desired with Metro setting up minimum standards and a county administrator. Commissioner Joe Murphy, who followed Searle, said that the unincorporated area pays one-third the taxes and gets back one-half. "We didn't mean that Metro should develop into a welfare state," said Murphy. Commissioner George Wilson blamed the two area dailies for leading the people astray on Metro. Reducing the county commission from 13 to nine members would help bring the government back to the people because they could get to know them better, he said. "This charter is full of inconsistencies," said Commissioner Franklin Evans. He said it had the power to give in one hand and to take away in another. He called for a municipal Bill of Rights. Commissioner C. L. Dressel Jr., who gave the invocation at the start of the meeting, did not comment except to say: "I've already spoken to higher authorities." "I came here with great reluctance — so great that I was afraid I would not be asked to speak," said City Attorney Ted Semple. The old time consolidation fighter charged that Metro had been put over on the people by subterfuge. "It's theory with you people, but I've been beat over the head with it," said Semple. "Some protection in law, not in rhetoric is needed for our municipalities," he said. "How about individual rights?" asked Ainslee Ferdie, Gables resident and attorney and candidate in the last Metro Commission election. He called for trials by jury for traffic offenders who want them; a special sentence review board; notice to taxpayers having their assessments raised more than 10 per cent; retaining the effect of homestead exemption; and bi-partisan elections. Gerard Pucci, zoning board member and member of a five-man Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee study group, reflected views similar to those outlined by the city commission. "It's not necessary to burn the house down to rid of fleas," W. L. Gray, of the same group, told the board in asking for reforms. For former mayor W. Keith Phillips, it was tough to say he had been wrong about the Metro he fought so hard to get. He read minutes of a meeting quoting Dr. H. Franklin Williams, University of Miami vice president and leader in the Metro movement, to show how the concept of Metro had gone astray. Phillips was backed by another former Gables mayor, Fred Hartnett. Consolidation, he said, had been defeated everytime it paraded under its own banner. While he was at it, Harnett got in a plug for a new ordinance to ban Sunday openings in Dade County. People floated in and out of the meeting which drew between 75 and 100 persons at the Youth Center. Metro Commissioner Winston W. Wynne drifted in and television mogul Mitchell Wolfson dropped in to say hello. Many top city civic and political leaders were also there. The staunch backers of Metro were few and came to listen to the gripes. Dr. Thomas J. Wood, chairman of the UM Government Department and staunch Metro supporter, indicated strong reaction to some of the comments but did not speak publicly. MAYOR SEARLE JERRY DRESSEL KEITH PHILLIPS WINSTON WYNNE JOE MURPHY TED SEMPLE DR. EVANS GEORGE WILSON DR. WOOD FRED HARTNETT

Gables Decides to Tend To Its Own Incinerator

Coral Gables, not wanting to be placed in the position of the pot calling the kettle black, has authorized repairs to its incinerator. The City has been at odds with Miami over its smoke and ash belching Coconut Grove incinerator operation for more than a year. Last week, the Gables City Commission authorized the expenditure of $2,767 for new fly ash eliminators for its incinerator, located off Coral Way near the Palmetto By-Pass. Nichols Engineering and research Corp. was the low bidder among three bids submitted. Pearce-Simpson, Inc. submitted two bids, one for $4,551 and an alternate for $5,341.

PUBLIC HEARING

A public hearing has been called for Jan. 22 on a proposal to operate a copying, mimeographing and letterservice in connection with a retail office machine business at 4023 Le Jeune Rd. The hearing on Melvin Factor's proposal will be at 7:30 p.m. before the Zoning Board.

Barry Boyer Top Student

Barry Boyer of 5801 SW 86th Street and a student at the Coral Gables High School is one of 870 oustanding students of high school English in the country. From 5,800 nominations from the nation's schools, Barry was named by the National Council of Teachers of English as one of the 1961 winners in its annual Achievement Awards. The two runners up from Gables were Nancy Smith of 6439 SW 34th St., and Stephen Dubrow of 711 SW 23rd Rd.

NOW OPEN

Watch For Grand Opening Soon Mr. Dood-It Rises To The Occasion ! When you need tools, equipment, any item for: home repairs lawn care redecorating entertaining babies-invalids We rent everything from high chairs To House jacks Mr. Dood-It. Business Hours 8 A.M. - 6 P.M. In any event - - It's for rent. United Rent-Alls "THE NATION'S NEIGHBOR" 6981 S.W. 24 St. Coral Way Ph. 221-6422