THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 14, 1995 TAG: 9504130169
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
A proposed 4-cent tax increase didn't seem to be of much concern to Portsmouth residents who attended a public hearing Tuesday.
Residents said they want more police protection and some even added they wouldn't mind a tax increase to pay for the services. A more powerful message though was that it is past time for the city to make the police and fire department more representative of the community.
The city needs to concentrate its efforts on hiring more minority police officers and firefighters, several citizens told the City Council.
A sprinkling of people told the council that while it considers a real estate tax increase, it should also adopt a higher tax on boats docked in the city.
``I support hiring new police officers and I support an increase in real estate taxes to get the deserved protection,'' said Purvis H. Richardson. ``But there should be no real estate tax increase unless there's an increase on the boats.''
The council reduced the tax to 1-cent in 1991 to attract boaters to dock in the city and spend their money here.
Marina owners say the program has been a success. In the last few months they have surveyed boaters about how much they spend and whether they would leave if the boat tax were increased.
Gordon Shelton, owner of the Tidewater Yacht Marina, said boaters surveyed spend an average of $5,000 to $7,000 a year and that they would dock elsewhere if the boat tax were increased.
Councilman Johnny M. Clemons said he believed raising the tax to a level below taxes in other cities would allow the city to keep the boaters and at the same time earn some tax revenue.
Mary L. Curran, president of the Midtown Portsmouth Association, said that folks aren't leaving the city because of rising taxes, rather she said they are leaving the city because there has been little hope for the city's future. It's decay that is causing folks to leave Portsmouth, she said.
``I support the budget as it has been proposed,'' Curran said. ``Because the increased costs will bring us prosperity.''
Other major points in the budget, including a 4 percent cut in the city's contribution to the schools and increases in water and sewer fees, weren't discussed during the hearing.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL by CNB