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Vox Port Richey

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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: January 31, 2009

Call it the voice of the people, Port Richey style. After discerning the will of the people in a petition calling on them to authorize another referendum on doing away with Port Richey, City Council this week told City Attorney Michael Brannigan to draft an ordinance that would authorize a dissolution referendum.

Council accepted Brannigan's opinion that the petition was invalid because it was done in a manner inconsistent with the city charter. This same problem scuttled a 2004 dissolution petition drive. Council members, however, said the 225 signatures on the new petition calling for a referendum suggests there is a desire among residents to vote on the fate of the city.

We've always thought Port Richey is too small to be viable and would be better off annexed into New Port Richey. Others think the city doesn't provide a useful return on the tax dollars it collects and they would be better off just paying taxes to Pasco County.

Over the course of decades of turmoil and controversy surrounding City Hall there have been a number of efforts to do away with Port Richey. Some have even made it to the ballot, like the 2007 straw ballot on whether the city should spend up to $250,000 to explore the legal and financial aspect of disincorporation. None of these efforts, however, has been successful.

So would another referendum finally mean the end of Port Richey as a city? We wouldn't bet on it.

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