Commissioner Cathy Kruse
The board received a letter from attorney Joseph A. DiVito, of DiVito, Higham & Vasti out of St. Petersburg, who represents Presbyterian Homes. Management for Presbyterian Homes believes that it should be exempt from the assessment fees.
But Fire Commissioner Chairman Cathy Kruse may have added fuel to the fire.
At the request of the Chairman Kruse, the topic was tabled until further information is received.
But it does not appear that the board is going to change its mind and make an exemption for the few hundred housing units, mostly rented by low income senior citizens.
Kruse was quoted to say at March 22, 2016 meeting the following:
“They (meaning residents at Presbyterian Homes) only pay 10 or 20 dollars’ month for rent.”
“Tax Assessment will not increase their rents.”
Kruse requests to see Presbyterian Homes all of financial books including their reserve accounts.
Has Kruse actually last her mind or has she started to fuel the fire of long battle that will cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of money to defend.
DiVito wrote in his letter to the fire district, “In other words during the next 60 days, we seek a reasonable cooperative effort to address the inequalities established under this resolution”
“If your client (the fire district) chooses to remain steadfast in its discrimination, then my clients (Presbyterian Homes) will have no alternative but to bring the lawsuit and seek justice through the court system,” DiVito wrote.
A couple of years ago, I ran against Kruse for the seat she now holds on the Fire Board. I am a retired LEO and Law Professor. I researched and wrote some of the early courses in the Fire Curriculum at what was Edison Community College. I felt I was amply qualified for the Fire Board seat, but Kruse had all of the Lehigh election sites blanketed by firemen who handed out flyers to all the people waiting to vote. Of course, faced by this blizzard of paper, I had no chance, and she won. I learned that both her husband and son are employees of the Fire District, and I wonder how her election could not be considered a conflict of interest.
Unless it is a disabled veteran I do not believe any one ,or any nonprofit or religious organisation should receive tax exemptions of any kind.