The Avon Park fire assessment is going up. Following a dust-up between Avon Park Mayor Garrett Anderson and outgoing city councilwoman Brenda Gray at last night’s city council meeting, council members by a 3-1 vote moved to set the rate at $130 per residence for the upcoming fiscal year.
The $18 hike brings raises in commercial, industrial and institutional rates as well. Anderson had wanted to set the rate at $140, while Gray had wanted to leave the assessment at the current $112.
The assessment will pay for a little over a third of the fire department’s budget. The rest will come out of the city’s property taxes.
The School Board of Highlands County will be holding a special session this evening. They will get together to discuss a memorandum of understanding between the board and the union about coronavirus sick leave procedures.
The issue sparked controversy at last week’s session, with charges of discrimination being leveled at how those who are vaccinated were treated as opposed to those who are unvaccinated.
Several parents came forward to question the issue. They asked to bring forward expert information for consideration the board might not have heard.
Another traffic accident in Highlands County with injury. This one occurred yesterday afternoon on State Road 70 at Rucks Dairy Road. At least one person had to be flown out from that one.
Florida Highway Patrol officials have released no information on how it happened.
In the wake of the death of community activist Annie Marie Feeny, officials of the Battle of the Bands, Inc. are trying to piece together arrangements of Vet Jam End of Summerfest 2021. According to reports, Feeny kept few written records on the plans – doing most of it in her head.
Group members say they want the event to happen as a tribute to Feeny’s hard work. They are asking Bands, vendors, volunteers, sponsors and anybody else who was to have been involved in the effort to contact them – so that the event can be staged.
For further details email vetjamandbobsplace