Crist: Property tax cuts won't reduce emergency services, hurricane relief
May 17, 2007
Everyone should contribute to hurricane preparedness, Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday, whether that means residents buying supplies, emergency workers learning more about response efforts or local governments prioritizing their spending.
Crist assured that emergency services would not be affected by the looming property tax relief proposals, which likely will drastically reduce local government budgets. The local entities, such as city fire departments, county health departments and emergency management departments are typically the first to respond in times of emergency.
"Local governments will do what local families do -- they will prioritize their spending, and so will the state government," Crist said at a news conference preceding his speech at the 21st annual Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference this week at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
"The essentials, the priorities will be funded," he said.
Storm weather specialists have predicted 17 named storms this season, including nine hurricanes. Crist thanked the more than 3,000 people at the conference for their efforts but also called upon others to help keep Floridians safe during disasters.
Crist said that on Tuesday, he sent letters to gas stations along evacuation routes that had not yet installed generators, a requirement set by recent legislation. The deadline is June 1, the first day of hurricane season, and about half the 254 gas stations were not prepared, Crist said.
"We told them we're going to enforce the law to the fullest extent of the law, and if you don't get these generators put in by June 1, we're going to take you to court," Crist said.
The governor noted the Legislature's decision to give people a sales-tax break on supplies. Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday runs from June 1 to 12, cutting sales tax on items such as flashlights, portable radios, tarps, batteries and portable generators. The effort will save residents $25 million, according to the Florida Department of Revenue.
Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, suggested local government and aid agencies work with private businesses.
"We had left out our retailers. Who on a day-to-day basis are you going to see get your food, water and ice?" he said. "Yet we had done all our planning and left the private sector completely out of the process. ... We tried a government solution when the solution was already there."
Crist and Fugate emphasized teamwork among those involved in hurricane preparedness and recovery.
"While we are proud of our team, we are also humble. We know there is something more to learn each and every day," Crist said. "As public servants, we all have to stay focused on that."
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