June 18, 2003
Source: The Miami Herald
On June 18, 2003 The Miami Herald reported that "houses of worship won't be allowed on Hallandale Beach's South Federal Highway [in FL]. City commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously for the ban. They said the mile-long corridor, from Hallandale Beach Boulevard south to the Miami-Dade County line, is ripe for offices and hotels that will increase tax revenues... Churches, synagogues and mosques do not have to pay taxes... 'This is not an anti-church movement,' Mayor Joy Cooper said. 'There are many uses that are prohibited along this corridor...' The vote continues the city's efforts to promote redevelopment and increase its coffers."