Commissioners Cap Millage at Last Year's Levels

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July 13, 2012

The 2:15pm time-certain item 5A3 to set maximum millage for 2013 didn’t get going until well past 3:30 – but it was short and to the point.

County Administrator Weisman made it clear that the only topic that had to be discussed was the setting of maximum millage for the September hearings.  No details of the budget need be addressed until then.  He confirmed to Commissioner Aaronson that the current millage was 4.7815.  Aaronson then made a motion to keep the maximum millage at 4.7815 and Commission Taylor seconded it.

Two members of the public spoke.  Stella Jordan of the Town of South Palm Beach and a member of their town council,  told the Commission that they were fortunate that valuations went up.  She cautioned, however, that spending would be going up with this flat millage and that she would expect next year that millage be reduced.  Alex Larson said she was glad that the Commissioners were not going to raise the millage rate.  But she said was that what their constituents really needed from the Commission and the School Board and all the governments was to lower tax rates.

Back to the Board – Commissioner Burdick questioned the amount actually available for additional spending – which after some clarification, was $800K.  Kudos to Mrs. Burdick for suggesting that perhaps in September the Commission could establish a precedent for taking half of any overage and using it to rollback rates for the taxpayer.  There will be pressures on the Commission to spend to the limit.  We hope that they decide, instead, to give some, if not all, back to the tax-payers.