You know the old saying – “It takes a village to raise a child”, well Palmetto Bay has decided it would rather be the Village that Rips Off a child. I was present at the Village of Palmetto Bay council meeting last night (September 10, 2007) to show support for the Palmetto Bay Broncos, a non-profit Football and Cheerleading organization. Since 1972 the 
Palmetto Bay Broncos have provided a valuable service to their community. Their organization promotes Scholarship, Sportsmanship, Discipline, and Team Spirit, all valuable qualities to be instilled in our children. My daughter is Cheerleading for her third season with the Bron
cos this year. Every person who works with this organization is a Volunteer. They dedicate 20 to 30 hours a week of their time towards a valuable community service.
The Village Council does not see it this way. Apparently, Mayor Eugene Flinn does not think an organization that provides organized, structured activity for 450 children, 3-4 days a week is a valuable community service. He’d rather have the money. He is proposing that the Village should charge each child $15.00 for the privilige of using a public park. He also wants to charge fees for using the picnic tables and taking pictures in the park. Maybe $15.00 doesn’t sound like a lot to you. However, some people have more than one child and some people live paycheck to paycheck. Unexpected expenses such as these can throw off an already tight budget. In a community were residents are already feeling the crunch of high taxes, high mortgages and high insurance rates, is it really fair to charge them twice for a park that should be free to the community? Are they going to start charging for the air we breath next?
Throughout the meeting Mayor Flinn kept harping on his self-proclaimed slogan for the Village. It’s the Village of Parks! It’s the Village of Parks! Well it is now. There is a brand new Dog Park 
and Meditation Park. Not to mention all those beautiful new roadsigns that will make beautiful projectiles the next time a storm blows through. And how about those gorgeous new gazebos that were placed at the far end of Coral Reef Park? They have since rusted and had to be removed so they can be replaced. What exactly do they need all this money from our children for? I’ve been going to that park for over twenty-five years. It is the same beautiful park its always been. There have been a few minor changes but on the whole I cannot see any reason to start charging people who have been using the park for thirty-five years.
About twenty people – professionals, parents & children – stood up to speak against this proposal and even more came to the meeting to show their support. All of them were ignored. The council has their own plans for their Village. It’s the Village of Parks – for those who can afford to pay.