Reduce Govt Overhead, Not Essential Services: BOC, Constitutional Officers and particularly the Sheriff
Editor’s note: This post was sent as an email to the County Commissioners and Constitutional Officers by Dale Gregory on June 13, 2011. PALM BEACH TAB PROPOSALS: I support in concept the proposals of the Palm Beach TAB advocated at the June 13, 2011 Budget Workshop. REDUCE GOVERNMENT OVERHEAD, NOT ESSENTIAL SERVICES I am appalled at the County Administrator’s appeal to emotion by proposing to increase Palm Tran rates, reduce life... [Read More...]
Marathon Session for First Budget Workshop
Last evening, starting at 6:00pm, the first steps in the annual county budget dance were performed before a large audience. The meeting did not end until around 11:00pm County Administrator Bob Weisman, along with OFMB chief Liz Bloeser and Budget Director John Wilson, explained the high points of the 4.75 millage $588M tax proposal, and explained why he’d really like to see it raised to “rollback” millage of 4.922. While Weisman... [Read More...]
BIZPAC Review:County budget a Weisman trick-expect tax increase
The Kabuki Budget
“Kabuki” – traditional Japanese popular drama performed with highly stylized singing and dancing. Yesterday, the county released the budget package for the June 13 workshop. While this preliminary document is lacking in detail (it doesn’t show the department rollups or make it possible to assess what the FRS savings were), it is predictive of the course of debate. To their credit, the Board of County Commissioners directed... [Read More...]
The TAB Proposal and the County Budget
The county has published their initial budget package for the June 13 workshop. It is a flat millage budget, with cuts of $13.6M from county departments and $22M from PBSO over FY2011, and would seem at first reading to be in line with the first two points of the TAB Proposal, “Don’t raise the millage” and “take more of the cuts from the Sheriff”. Upon further reading, it is clear that many of the cuts are intended to... [Read More...]
Pension Reform – the Final Bill
On Friday May 6, the conference committee put the final touches on FRS Reform and sent SB2100 to the Governor. Although it is not as far-reaching as the Governor wanted, it is significant, both in the precedent it sets (employees must now contribute to their pensions) and in the budget savings for both the state and the counties that participate in FRS. The conference staff analysis summarizes the highlights of the bill as: All FRS members must... [Read More...]
Legislative Update – 5/5/11
As the Legislature winds down the session, there has been much progress on the bills we have been tracking that relate to county budget issues. The following is a status: Pension Reform SB2100/HB1405 having emerged from conference on Friday May 6, has been sent to the governor. From the House bill, the plan adopts the 3% employee contribution and retirement eligibility of age 65 / 33 years for general class and age 60 / 30 years for special risk.... [Read More...]
Palm Beach Civic Association Sponsors TaxWatch Study
The Palm Beach Civic Association, in conjunction with the Town of Palm Beach County Budget Task Force (CBTF), is engaging Florida TaxWatch to perform a study of Palm Beach County capital expenditures, debt and reserves, and inventory of underutilized land and buildings. Funded half by the Civic Association with the other half being raised by task force member Jere Zenko, the project is scheduled to start shortly and be completed in time for use... [Read More...]
Smart Cap – Good for the State, Good for the County
The Florida Legislature is moving forward on a constitutional amendment for the 2012 ballot to limit state spending to a “growth factor” tied to inflation and population growth. A previous attempt in 2009 had included county and municpal governments in its scope, but that has been omitted this time. We think it is still a good idea however, and could be implemented for Palm Beach County as a Charter Amendment. TAB plans to argue both... [Read More...]
The 2012 Budget – a Very Preliminary Analysis.
Although the first budget workshop is a couple of months away, and the department rollups won’t be done until next month, there are some inferences that can be drawn from the environment in which the budget is being prepared. Property values are expected to decline by 6%, but some new construction will offset that and the county is using a 5% decline as a working number. Since the 2011 valuation was approximately $127B, the 2012 number would... [Read More...]