Public Hearing Tuesday on 2017 County Budget
The first public hearing for the 2017 budget will be held on Tuesday, September 6 at 6PM in the BCC chambers, 301 N. Olive Street, 6th floor. Links: First Public Hearing Package On Tuesday 9/6 at 6:00 PM, the County Commission will most likely vote to leave the millage unchanged for a sixth year in a row, accepting the tax windfall from rising valuations. The numbers are slightly higher than the June package as the valuations have been adjusted... [Read More...]
First 2017 Budget Hearing on June 14 at 6pm
In an unrelenting desire for ever more taxpayer money, the county Administrator has proposed a $57M tax increase for the next fiscal year, which will be in addition to about $75M per year that the county will get from the sales tax if approved by the voters. This is just greedy. The first budget workshop for the 2017 budget will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 6PM in the BCC chambers, 301 N. Olive Street, 6th floor.Links: Presentation Budget Package At... [Read More...]
Sales Tax Proposal Sent Back for More Info
During a long meeting that stretched from before lunch until 5pm, the Board of County Commissioners yesterday deferred action on staff’s sales tax proposal, sending it back for more information. Commissioners Valeche, Burdick and Abrams all wanted to see things slow down while the proposal is fleshed out. They did not want to see ballot language as of yet, rather the next session should discuss the unknowns of the proposal, including: –... [Read More...]
Final Hearing on FY2016 Budget, 9/21
Next Monday, the Commission will take their final vote to set the county-wide millage rate at 4.7815, unchanged since 2012. Out of the $63M tax increase, the $775K that they did not commit to new spending will be rolled into reserves, ready for use to increase the BDB subsidy and other priorities that didn’t make the budget proposal. This is how the budget compares to last year: 2015 2016 Change County-wide $667.3M 729.9M + 9.4% Library $41.5M 45.0M ... [Read More...]
Public Hearing on the Budget – What to expect
On Tuesday, September 8 at 6 PM, the county commission will meet to consider the 2016 budget in the first of two meetings to set the millage rate. See: 1st Public Hearing Package In the June workshop, before the county valuations were adjusted upward slightly, flat millage projections yielded $724.8M in property taxes – an 8.6% increase over last years budget. With the new valuations, the yield became $729.9M or a 9.4% increase. All of this... [Read More...]
Maximum Millage to be set Tuesday, 7/21
The county commission will act to set the maximum millage for fiscal year 2016 on Tuesday, 7/21, as part of a regular agenda. Staff recommends holding the county-wide millage flat at 4.7815. Since the June budget workshop, where the flat millage would have generated $724.8M in taxes on $151.6B in valuation, the property values have been adjusted upward to $152.7B. With flat millage, that will provide another $5.1M in taxes, or $729.9M. Compared to... [Read More...]
$725M County Budget Proposal Largest in History
The county budget proposal, to be discussed in the first budget workshop on Tuesday, June 9 at 6pm, proposes flat millage at 4.7815 producing $57.5M in new taxes on rising valuations. With property values having returned to 89% of the peak seen in 2007, this budget is actually $36M higher than the record set that year, making it the highest dollar value budget in the history of the county. Coming on top of a $44M tax increase last year, during a time... [Read More...]
Final Budget Hearing on 9/22
On Monday, September 22, the final county budget hearing will take place at 6pm at the Government Center at 301 N. Olive. We still believe the Sheriff’s increase is much too large, but the show of support he mustered at the September 8 meeting has precluded any substantive discussion of the issue before the Commission. And although Commissioner Abrams suggested they discuss a modest reduction in millage (and the size of the $44M tax increase)... [Read More...]
On Oversight, Checks and Balances, and the County Budget
Our system of government imposes an arrangement of checks and balances, so no person or group can acquire unchecked power. When it comes to the county budget, Florida statutes clearly designate the legislative body – the county commission, to have the authority and responsibility to set priorities for spending and taxation. The administrator and his staff prepare a detailed budget, following whatever guidelines they have been given, and the... [Read More...]
First Public Hearing on 2015 County Budget
The first Public Hearing on the 2015 County Budget is Monday evening, September 8th, at 6:00PM at 301 N Olive, WPB, 6th floor. Unchanged from June, the county proposes to keep the county-wide tax rate at last year’s 4.7815 despite a 7% increase in valuations, which will result in a tax increase of about $44M over the 2014 adopted tax. This follows a $23M increase last year. These additional funds will mostly go to the Sheriff (67%), and BCC... [Read More...]