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EDITORIAL | Tidings Media
Public Streets Belong to the Public
Clearwater Didn’t Just Vacate Garden Avenue. It Vacated a Principle.
The Clearwater City Council’s decision to vacate a portion of South Garden Avenue for the benefit of the Church of Scientology represents more than a routine land-use decision. It marks a significant moment in the relationship between government and the people it serves.
Throughout this process, Tidings Media has attempted to give elected officials the benefit of the doubt. Local government is often called upon to make difficult decisions where reasonable people can disagree. We recognize that reality.
However, after reviewing the facts, listening to residents on both sides of the issue, and observing the process from beginning to end, we believe the Council reached the wrong conclusion.
This editorial is not about religious freedom.
It is about public stewardship.
Public Streets Belong to the Public
Government exists to protect public assets for the benefit of the public.
Whether the applicant had been a Fortune 500 corporation, a condominium developer, a labor union, a professional sports franchise, or the Church of Scientology is almost beside the point.
A public street belongs to the public.
The standard for permanently relinquishing public property should be extraordinarily high and supported by a clear, compelling, and demonstrable public benefit. We do not believe that standard was met.
South Garden Avenue is more than a strip of pavement connecting two intersections. It is part of Clearwater’s public infrastructure and should remain under public ownership unless an unmistakable public necessity demands otherwise.
That necessity was never demonstrated.
Instead, the City asked its residents to accept that surrendering a public street would somehow advance the future of downtown Clearwater.
Many citizens were simply not convinced.
Representation Means Representing Everyone
The issue is not whether Scientologists are citizens.
They are.
Like every American, they are entitled to the full protections of the Constitution, including the free exercise of religion.
The issue is proportionality.
Clearwater has a population of approximately 117,000 residents. Estimates commonly place the number of Scientologists living within the city at roughly 2,000 people. Even accepting those estimates, Scientologists represent only a small percentage of Clearwater’s population.
Yet the Church of Scientology’s influence over downtown Clearwater extends well beyond its numerical presence. Through decades of property acquisitions, the organization has become one of the dominant landowners in the city’s downtown core.
That reality places an even greater responsibility on elected officials to ensure that decisions involving public assets are made for the benefit of the entire community, not merely one influential institution.
Government must never lose sight of whom it represents.
The Question of Tax-Exempt Status
Tidings Media also believes it is appropriate to ask whether Scientology should continue receiving the same tax treatment afforded to traditional religious organizations.
That is a legitimate public policy question.
In our opinion, Scientology operates in ways that differ substantially from the traditional model of churches familiar to most Americans. Its extensive real estate holdings, organizational structure, and financial model distinguish it from many religious institutions that rely primarily on voluntary donations and congregational worship.
Reasonable people may disagree.
But asking whether existing tax policy remains appropriate is neither intolerant nor anti-religious. It is a legitimate discussion about public policy, tax law, and the proper application of religious exemptions.
Politics Should Never Become Intimidation
We are equally concerned by reports and public perceptions surrounding the political environment leading up to this vote.
Elected officials have every right to advocate for their positions.
They should never substitute pressure for persuasion.
Political influence should never become political intimidation.
Attempts to pressure colleagues, organize campaigns of personal influence, or create an atmosphere in which dissent is discouraged undermine confidence in representative government.
That criticism applies regardless of party affiliation or political ideology.
Tidings Media has supported elected officials from across the political spectrum when we believed they acted in the public interest.
Likewise, we will criticize those same officials when we believe they have fallen short of that responsibility.
Editorial independence means exactly that.
Clearwater Deserves Better
Downtown Clearwater is entering a period of significant investment and redevelopment.
That should be welcomed.
A vibrant downtown filled with residents, restaurants, entertainment, retail businesses, public gathering places, and thriving local commerce benefits the entire community.
But downtown Clearwater should remain the civic heart of the city.
It should never become identified with, or function primarily for the benefit of, any single private organization, regardless of its wealth, influence, or history.
The future of downtown Clearwater belongs to every resident.
The Bottom Line
This editorial is not an attack on individual Scientologists.
Every American has the constitutional right to worship according to the dictates of their conscience, and that right deserves the full protection of the law.
At the same time, Tidings Media is unequivocally opposed to the theology and teachings of Scientology. We reject its religious claims and disagree with its worldview. Our opposition is directed at the institution, its beliefs, and what we view as its continuing effort to expand its influence over the civic life of Clearwater. That position should not be mistaken for hostility toward individual Scientologists, who are entitled to the same rights, freedoms, and dignity as every other citizen.
Likewise, every citizen has the right to question government decisions and to oppose the transfer of public assets to private organizations.
Those principles are not in conflict.
They reinforce one another.
Tidings Media believes the Clearwater City Council made the wrong decision.
Public streets should remain public.
Government should exercise extraordinary caution before surrendering public property to any private organization, including nonprofit entities.
The responsibility of elected officials is not to accommodate the wishes of the most influential institutions.
Their responsibility is to faithfully represent all of the people of Clearwater.
Endnotes
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Clearwater, Florida. Population reported as 117,292 residents.
- City of Clearwater. City Council agendas, staff reports, public hearing materials, meeting minutes, and official vote concerning the proposed vacation of a portion of South Garden Avenue.
- Spectrum News Bay News 9. Reporting on the Clearwater City Council vote, public testimony, and subsequent legal challenges related to the Garden Avenue vacation.
- Axios Tampa Bay. Reporting on downtown Clearwater redevelopment, the Church of Scientology’s proposed entertainment project, and the City’s redevelopment strategy.
- Tracey McManus, Tampa Bay Times. Investigative reporting documenting the Church of Scientology’s real estate holdings and influence in downtown Clearwater.
- Church of Scientology Flag Land Base. Public materials identifying Clearwater as the Church’s international spiritual headquarters.
- Charles Stafford. Scientology: An In-Depth Profile of a New Force in Clearwater. St. Petersburg Times (1980 Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting), chronicling the Church’s arrival in Clearwater and its early relationship with city government.
- United States v. Mary Sue Hubbard, et al. Federal court records and publicly released FBI documents concerning historical criminal proceedings involving senior Church officials during the 1970s.
- Public court filings relating to litigation challenging the Garden Avenue street vacation and associated municipal actions.
- The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of Tidings Media and reflect its editorial position regarding public stewardship, municipal governance, and public policy.
