![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01GP-Lions-Club_Cameron-Healy_12112025.jpg\")
The Gulfport Lions Club building sits at 4630 Tifton Dr. S. in Gulfport\u2019s Marina district. Photo by Cameron Healy<\/p>\n
The Gulfport Lions Club building sits at 4630 Tifton Dr. S. in Gulfport\u2019s Marina district.
Photo by Cameron Healy<\/p>\n
Gulfport City Council voted unanimously Dec. 2 to table two agenda items involving a proposed payout of more than $250,000 to the Gulfport Lions Club. The action postponed a major financial decision and created space for further review.<\/p>\n
Council members expressed concerns about the appraisal method, the lease requirements, and the building\u2019s true condition.<\/p>\n
City Explains the Basis for the Requested Payout<\/p>\n
City Manager Jim O\u2019Reilly opened the discussion by outlining the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lions Club has notified the city that they would be no longer occupying the building,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Reilly noted that the current lease expires on Dec. 5.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a buyout provision for their improvements,\u201d O\u2019Reilly added. \u201cThe amount to be paid based on the appraisal is $264,246.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to O\u2019Reilly, staff followed the lease language and relied on the appraisal provided.<\/p>\n
Shaw Requests More Detail About the Appraisal<\/p>\n
Ward II Council member Marlene Shaw then sought clarification about the valuation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it is accrued cash value, that still matters, and the appraisal reflects that,\u201d She continued, \u201cBut I read that we were supposed to use an MAI appraiser. We used a state certified appraiser instead. Is that acceptable? Also, the appraisal from last year appeared to be replacement cost, but this one is actual cash value. Is that correct?\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Reilly responded, \u201cNo, they were both actual cash value.\u201d<\/p>\n
His answer prompted Shaw to say she would review the earlier report again.<\/p>\n
Broader Concerns<\/p>\n
Vice Mayor April Thanos offered sharper criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lease calls for an MAI, which is different from a certified inspector,\u201d Thanos said.<\/p>\n
Moreover, she noted that MAI appraisers normally provide market value, actual cash value, and rental value.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis only did actual cash value, and our lease requires market value,\u201d Thanos said. She argued the building should be \u201c100% depreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, she questioned the report\u2019s calculations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese numbers absolutely do not make sense,\u201d Thanos said. \u201cThis is a rip off of our tax money.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not all that happened at the Dec. 2 Gulfport City Council meeting. Read about ADUs<\/a>, Charter amendment<\/a>, Mayor Karen Love<\/a>, roadway improvements<\/a>, and what we overheard<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mayor Karen Love acknowledged similar uncertainty.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know the difference between a MAI and a state approved appraiser,\u201d Love stated.<\/p>\n A state certified appraiser meets Florida\u2019s minimum licensing requirements, which include coursework, exams, and supervised hours. They can legally appraise most property types, but are not required to complete advanced training in commercial valuation.<\/p>\n In contrast, an MAI appraiser holds a prestigious designation from the Appraisal Institute that requires extensive experience, graduate-level education, and strict ethical standards. MAI appraisers specialize in complex commercial valuations and must demonstrate more than 4,500 hours of high-level appraisal work.<\/p>\n An MAI designation signals deeper expertise and broader competency than a standard state certification, especially for commercial buildings, lease valuations, and market-value assessments.<\/p>\n Residents Highlight Additional Issues<\/p>\n Several residents also raised concerns.<\/p>\n Resident Jonathan Micocci described a \u201cgigantic discrepancy\u201d between market value and cash value.<\/p>\n He added that actual cash value \u201cmight be a negative number right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, speaking for resident Lauren Stern, Courtney Prokopas questioned the structure of the lease.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building was significantly damaged,\u201d she said. \u201cIs it not worth zero?\u201d<\/p>\n Next Steps<\/p>\n Ultimately, Council members agreed to delay the vote.<\/p>\n They directed the City Manager to get a new appraisal by an MAI. They will review the new appraisal, lease language, examination standards, and appraisal requirements before taking final action.<\/p>\n The Gulfport City Council\u2019s next meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n The Gabber Newspaper? Yeah, We Go There.<\/p>\n Did You Know? In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council<\/a> accountable. Read more of our city council coverage<\/a>, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Gulfport Lions Club building sits at 4630 Tifton Dr. S. in Gulfport\u2019s Marina district. Photo by Cameron…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[17035,15920,2271,14218,42618,17036,202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-75226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-april-thanos-in-gulfport-florida","tag-gulfport-city-council","tag-gulfport-florida","tag-gulfport-florida-city-hall","tag-gulfport-lions-club","tag-karen-love-gulfport-florida","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/02GP-Lions-Club_Cameron-Healy_12112025-e1764948966111.jpg\")
Gulfport City Council voted unanimously Dec. 2 to table two agenda items involving a proposed payout to the Gulfport Lions Club.
Photo by Cameron Healy<\/p>\n