MCCARTY FIGHTS TAX-FREE BOND FOR ADDICTION CENTER

BOCA RATON - The Caron Foundation of Florida has sent letters to Palm
Beach County commissioners asking them to approve a $9.5 million
tax-exempt bond that would be used in part to build a treatment facility.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether the nonprofit
foundation, with treatment centers for alcohol and drug addiction,
gets the bond.

The request had passed two meetings before Commissioner Mary McCarty
decided to call for its denial at a meeting this month.

"Delray Beach and Boca Raton have become the national gathering place
for drug rehab and sober houses," McCarty said, noting that she's
tired of it. They are luring people all over the country. These are
people with serious addiction issues, and again, when these people
fall off the wagon it's the local governments who have to deal with
the problem."

The statistics and background Caron provided to commissioners might
not have helped the group's case.

In fact, the foundation has made it clear it is so well-known that
McCarty doesn't see why it can't get loans on its own.

"I can't stop them from operating," she said. "I can't keep them away.
But I can not give them a tax-free bond."

The bond request first came before commissioners on Aug. 21. McCarty
was among them when the board approved it unanimously. It was
discussed by another board in July.

"The (August) meeting was over in 30 seconds," said Andrew Rothernel,
executive vice president of Caron. "I had presentation materials, but
they didn't even want testimonials."

So at a meeting Sept. 11 Caron officials didn't even register to
speak.

"I'm at the hearing just expecting we would sit through the vote,"
Rothernel said.

Instead McCarty tried to persuade the rest of the board to deny the
bond. Between the two meetings, she said, she did research on the
organization, and that prompted her change of mind.

Commissioners postponed the vote until Tuesday, when Caron officials
will have to explain why they are seeking a bond issue rather than
trying to get loans on their own. Repayment of the bond, foundation
officials said, is guaranteed by Wachovia Bank, therefore the county
won't have any financial risk.

Part of the money would be used for the construction and furnishing of
an addiction treatment facility known as Beacon Square at 8051
Congress Ave. That's where the foundation plans to relocate its
Renaissance Institute, now on North Federal Highway, and double the
number of people being treated.

Many of the patients stay for six months or longer. The larger
facility also would create about 15 jobs.

If the bond is denied, Rothernel said, "it will cut significantly into
the amount of free care we can give."