INDIAN ROCKS BEACH -- Voters face a passel of referendum questions on the November 2 ballot, eight from the state, five from the county and issues that affect Indian Rocks Beach alone, 17.
They are about approving charter amendments. Many are housekeeping measures or bring city ordinances into conformance with state law.
But there are several that deal directly with tax philosophy and it is hard to imagine any ideas that tend to lower taxes failing.
For those citizens who have been paying attention, the charter amendment questions will be familiar. They have been the subject of discussion at City Commission meetings more than once going back many months.
One of the referendums asks voters if they want the City Commission to be able to approve any millage rate increase of more than 6 percent with a super majority (four votes).
With the super majority, power is removed from the triumvirate of Commissioners Jim Palamara, Bill Ockunzzi and Jeremiah Carmody to get what they want.
The fourth vote is going to have to come, as the commission is presently constituted, from either Mayor Bob DiNicola or Commissioner R.B. Johnson who are usually aligned against the troika. That could change in the election next March.
DiNicola and Johnson opposed the idea of the super majority on the millage rate increase.
Also requiring super majority votes are two other charter amendments, both relating to taxes. One conceerns new taxes and the other deals with city fees.
The commission's meeting October 12 had no issues of any signficance to deal with but the troika -- actually, a leader and two bobbleheads (most of the time) -- managed to prolong the meeting with the usual attention to minutiae.
Only four members were there, with Ockunzzi presiding, matching the number of awestruck citizens in rapt attention in the audience. Mayor Bob DiNicola was absent, recovering nicely all reports said from a critical operation.