Goldstein Introduces Bill To Aid Developmentally Disabled

February 21, 2005

story

Broward referendum that would aid seniors, disabled advances

By Buddy Nevins

Political Writer

February 19, 2005

Broward County's state legislators took the first step Friday toward asking

their voters if they want to pay additional taxes to help needy senior citizens

and adults with developmental disabilities, such as autism.

The Broward Legislative Delegation unanimously passed the bill that would set

the referendum on the same day as the primary next year, Sept. 5, 2006. The

bill, legislation that would only affect Broward, now goes to the full

Legislature for consideration.

If approved by the Legislature and voters, a special district would be

established with the power to tax Broward property owners up to 50 cents for

every $1,000 of taxable value of property.

The district would be run by an 11-member appointed board that would include

social service professionals, a county commissioner, a city commissioner or

mayor, a person more than 60 years old and another who is a caretaker or family

member of someone developmentally disabled.

Money from Tallahassee has traditionally helped support many of Broward's

private and government social service agencies, but that money has been drying

up, according to the testimony.

Social service executives told legislators that for the first time there are

long waits to get services such as Meals on Wheels, which delivers healthful

food to homebound seniors.

Delegation members backed the proposed bill after a parade of Broward residents

testified that a local source of money is needed because of continued cutbacks

in social services by the state.

The bill for just Broward was introduced by state Rep. Goldstein, a Weston

Republican who has a child with autism, and Democratic state Sen. Skip

of Coral Springs. They acted after a similar bill with statewide scope (HB 229)

appeared headed for failure in the House.

The earlier bill, which would allow voters in every county to establish the

special taxing districts, was referred to five committees for hearings.

Referring a bill to several committees is a parliamentary maneuver often used

by legislative leaders to kill a bill because there usually is not time in the

60-day session of the Legislature to schedule that many hearings. The

Legislature's regular session begins March 8.

Buddy Nevins can be reached at bnevins@... or .

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