BCC to Discuss $29M in Spending Reductions
At the Tuesday, May 15 Commission Meeting, agenda items 5a2 and 5a3 deal with an “efficiency audit” performed by consultants Gerstle, Rosen & Goldenberg at the request of county administration. The audit found areas of significant savings, both in county operations and in the constitutional offices (except the Sheriff who evidently refused to answer any of their questions), estimated in the range of $29M. They looked in four areas:... [Read More...]
TAB Opposes Sales Tax Increase
Staff requests direction on implementation of a “Charter County and Regional Transportation Tax” On Tuesday, May 1st, the Palm Beach County Commission will be considering a $100 Million, 1/2% increase (raising existing 6% to 6.5%) in the sales tax to fund transportation related spending. The Administrator is requesting board feedback on putting this proposed tax on the November ballot, and the Commission must give approval prior to the... [Read More...]
Yet Another Taxing District?
Palm Beach County property owners are taxed in many ways. We pay separate tax rates for our cities, for our schools, and for the county government. We also pay for the county libraries, the Health Care District, the Children’s Services Council, and a variety of inlet and water management districts. If we live in the unincorporated areas we pay separately for Fire/Rescue. Now there is a proposal to create yet another tax district –... [Read More...]
Commission and Staff Hold Off-site Retreat
The County Commissioners and senior staff assembled today in Boynton Beach at the Intracoastal Park Clubhouse, for an off-site “retreat”. In January of last year, a similar meeting was held at the Riviera Beach Marina, and a wide variety of strategic topics were discussed (energy and water costs, Glades restoration, Biotech investments) as well as the upcoming budget outlook. The most significant result of that meeting was the setting... [Read More...]
Another decrease in valuations in 2012?
As you may recall from last year, county property valuation fell 1.8%. This put pressure on the commissioners to raise the millage in order to avoid cutting spending. As it turned out, the final millage did result in a budget reduction of $7.9M or about 1%, helped enormously by the Legislature’s passage of pension reform that provided a county windfall. This year, Legislative action will again impact county budgets. One way is through HB251/SB928,... [Read More...]
County Adopts New Financial Standards
The county commission today discussed and approved new accounting standards for the next budget year that will adopt a more standard accounting methodology, making comparisons with peer counties possible (perhaps). For a full description, CLICK HERE. Highlights included: Adoption of GASB 54, reporting spendable fund balances in 4 categories, possibly providing more transparency. During the discussion it was stated that since Hillsborough is already... [Read More...]
2012 Millage set at 4.7815
Click HERE for Channel 20 Video of the meeting. In a relatively short meeting last night, the County Commission approved a 2012 budget by a 4-3 vote. Setting the county-wide millage at $4.7815 per $1000 valuation, the rate is an increase of 0.66%. TAB has been working over the last few months to avoid any increase, but this outcome is acceptable, given it is a lot closer to our $4.75 target than the rollback rate proposed in June at $4.922. We would... [Read More...]
Call to Action – September 27 Budget Meeting
TAB Members, Tomorrow evening, September 27, is the final county budget hearing at 6:00pm in the County Building at 301 North Olive, WPB. You should arrive by 5:30 if you want to be assured of a seat in the main meeting room. On the table is the 4.79 millage carried over from the last meeting, along with a 4.784 “alternate” proposal that shaves another $700k off the first. If they were able to find only $5M (less than 0.25% of the proposed... [Read More...]
Tax Rate Proposal Still Too High
The current proposed millage on the table for the 2012 budget is $4.79 per thousand dollars of valuation, up 0.8% from the $4.75 of last year. With declining valuations, that millage would collect $596M in taxes, $7M or about 1% less than last year. An “alternative” offered by Bob Weisman differs by about $700K – hardly worth mentioning. At the September 13 preliminary hearing, commissioners Abrams, Burdick and Marcus voted against... [Read More...]
Budget Diet?
On today’s opinion page of the Sun-Sentinel, BizPac chairman John R. Smith takes the county to task over its budget process, from what he calls the “Weisman ritual” – proposing a budget that always seems to out of step with conditions, to the arcane and obscure way that the budget is prepared by OFMB. Mr. Smith cites the recent TaxWatch report which concludes the county is holding too much in reserves, owns too much unused... [Read More...]