Last updated on January 8, 2022
Belleair’s former commissioner/deputy mayor Karla Rettstatt had planned to present a petition at the July 20 meeting to the Belleair town commission. Her petition was seeking to change Belleair’s town charter. In addition, requiring a referendum be held if there are any moves to reduce funding or eliminate the police department. Karla Rettstatt was a commissioner in 2010. Ran again, winning a commissioner seat in 2015 till 2021. So, why wasn’t this referendum addressed during her tenure?
Rettstatt’s said she believes Belleair residents should have a say over major issues affecting them. Certain Belleair residents feel her last term as commissioner deputy/vice mayor. She and others lacked transparency which did impact their involvement concerning essential town issues.
As for her reference in tbnweekly.com, her petition was public input in the town’s strategic plan, and “safety was number one in residents’ minds” isn’t exactly accurate. Number one on residents’ minds was financial responsibility.
By the way, Belleair’s strategic plan came about from a $60,000 town survey unanimously approved in 2018. A town survey that only 10% of the residents had the opportunity to take. A strategic plan that discounted 90% of us will be Belleair’s objective for the next ten years.
The petition was not provided to the commissioners at the July 20 town meeting.
Can someone please explain Rettstatt’s obsession with the police department? Yes, financial responsibility was the number one concern in that boondoggle $60,000 town survey that for some reason seemed to exclude 90% of residents.
Belleair has no business having it’s own cop department. We could contract with the county and instantly have better resources and better trained officers for a savings of almost $1 million. And we wouldn’t have to have a foundation begging to get bullet proof vests for the cops. It’s pathetic the BCF has to do that.
And don’t get me started on our water system. This small of town cannot afford to run its own water system. Can you imagine the HUGE cost and upkeep of an RO system?