Page 7 - Peter Obryan News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

County Attorney Dylan Reingold plans to bring back an ordinance in the fall that would include the exact referendum language and creating a Children's Trust tax district. The referendum could ask voters to approve a 12-year tax, beginning with 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value for the first four years of implementation, and then increasing to about 38 cents.  "We're trying to do the best we can, and have a lot more money to serve children's services to do programs that are both new and expand those programs that are successful," committee member Michael Kint said.  The county cu...

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — It's still too soon to talk about bailing out nonprofits suffering financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, county commissioners said Tuesday.  Getting people vaccinated against the coronavirus and helping them meet their basic needs are priorities, commissioners said. For now, they said, nonprofits need to seek assistance from organizations such as the United Way or hold their own fundraisers.  "Now is not the time," said Commissioner Peter O'Bryan, stressing the county needs to focus on vaccinations, not looking for money fund nonprofits. "I think we're up to...

Given an unusual second chance to convince a judge a 12-year prison sentence for stealing tires was excessive, Indian River County’s former assistant fire-rescue chief flamed out. “It can happen to any one of us or one of our family members in the blink of an eye. It was just a bad decision,” Brian Burkeen said in court last week of his almost four-year spree of using a county account to order tires, pick them up, sell them on the black market and pocket the money. "Your honor, I'm not a bad person,” Burkeen said as part of statement focused on his travails, not those of his victims ...

News Service of Florida A years-long effort to block local governments from regulating vacation rentals is on the move again, as House and Senate leaders revive a proposal to prevent cities and counties from inspecting and licensing properties offered on platforms such as Airbnb. In a 10-7 vote on Wednesday, the House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee gave an initial nod to the latest iteration of the proposal (HB 219). While the legislation has morphed over the past few years, the controversy over the issue has remained consistent.  “It’s always been a fun bill to present in committees,”...

Vacation-rental preemption has become a perennial fight for local officials and property owners in some high-end neighborhoods who complain about noise, parking and trash issues.