Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 06-22-10 special — reading text

181 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 229 2010 INTRODUCTION A special meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, June 229 2010 at 5: 00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with the following members present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes; joyce gillie gossom; Dennis Reeves; Mike Minich, Bobby Nabors; and Dick Rynearson Seat 6 Vacant Also Present: Robert Mearns, City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Toni Craig, City Attorney; and Department Directors PURPOSE Discussion of the proposed Millage Rate and Budget Policy Issues. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. He requested anyone who wished to address Council to approach the podium after being recognized, then state his or her name and address for the record. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Mayor led in the Pledge of Allegiance. PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE Discussion on the proposed millage rate for the next fiscal year. The Finance Director stated the purpose of the meeting this evening is to allow Council the opportunity to set the proposed millage rate which is the rate that will be shown on the tax notice sent out by the Property Appraiser. She said the rate can be decreased but it cannot be increased after it is set without incurring additional adverti sing - costs. She went over information on the millage rate; some general information on the composition of the City and number of parcels by taxable value; and history of the City' s Ad Valorem revenues and millage rate. She went over the rolled -back rate which, based on the preliminary taxable value, is estimated at 4.4543 to generate the same amount of ad valorem tax revenue as the prior year City -wide. She went over the maximum millage rate that can be set by a majority with 4 votes, by two- thirds with 5 votes, and a unanimous vote or voter referendum. She said if Council desires, the proposed millage th rate can be set tonight thereby not requiring a special meeting on June 29 and regardless of whether or not the proposed millage rate is set tonight, staff requests a policy decision on whether the millage rate should be maintained at the current level or increased to fund desired service levels. 182 Special Council 6 -22 -10 PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE cont. The Mayor opened the floor for public comment. Chris Gibson, 249 Brooks Street SE, received clarification that to maintain the same level of services the millage rate would need to be set at almost 6 mills. Roy Hackney, 337 Elliot Road, received explanation that the taxes on a $ 100,000 home would increase approximately $ 180 a year at a 6 mill rate. As no one else wished to speak public input was closed. Mr. Minich moved to set the proposed millage rate to be used in developing the FY 2010 -11 budget and published on the " Notice of Proposed Taxes" at 5. 0 mills. Mr. Holmes seconded motion. During discussion comments included the desire to maintain the level of services and to retain as many employees as possible; the desire not to jeopardize the quality of services the citizens receive; that the current level of services cannot be maintained without increasing the millage rate; that the millage rate should not be increased with the current state of the economy and the oil spill situation; that there is still the ability to make reductions and changes without losing services; that the proposed millage rate can be lowered and reductions can still be made during the budget process; that the tendency in the past has been to eliminate people as opposed to changing the way business is done; that the proposed millage will help offset some of the $ 1. 4 million shortfall; that money can be saved on some items as opposed to eliminating positions; the desire that Council try to keep the millage as low as possible when going through the budget process and not repeat past actions of running the total budget up to the proposed millage; and that the message be sent to staff that it is time to start trimming and find out where major changes can be made, and not to prepare a budget based on the proposed millage. Council received explanation that the proposed millage rate is published on the " Notice" sent by the Property Appraiser in August and Council cannot go above that without formal notification to each property owner, and the tentative millage is set at the first public hearing and the final millage is set at the second public hearing. The Mayor called for the vote on the motion and it carried by a vote of 4 to 2 with Holmes, gossom, Minich, and Rynearson in favor and Reeves and Nabors opposed ( Seat 6 vacant). BUDGET POLICY City Council review of the staff proposal on the preparation of the budget. The City Manager mentioned preparation of the budget will be predicated on the fact that the same percentages of the budget each department received last year would be applied to this year' s budget, even though there is diminished revenue. He requested Council endorse the proposed method for allocating the estimated available FY 2010 -11 General Fund resources. He said Council will meet in August to begin going through the budget line -by -line in each department. Special Council 6 -22 -10 BUDGET POLICY cont. The Mayor opened the floor for public input. Chris Gibson, 249 Brooks Street SE, suggested each department share in the reduction in the budget, and expressed her belief the County should pay for the services they receive from the City. As no one further wished to speak public comment was closed. Mr. Minich moved to establish the general budget policy based on maintaining essential services and retaining as many employees as possible. Mr. Holmes seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, gossom, Reeves, Minich, Nabors, and Rynearson in favor (Seat 6 vacant). BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS Mr. Holmes moved to set Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 5: 30 p.m. and Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 5: 30 p.m. as the dates and times of the Special Council meetings for the millage and budget public hearings. Mr. Rynearson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, gossom, Reeves, Minich, Nabors, and Rynearson in favor ( Seat 6 vacant) ADJOURNMENT Being no further business the meeting adjourned at 5: 48 p.m. APPROVED: Ltil /' MAYOR: ATTEST: rjl( Xm TTY CLERI' ddm date completed: 6/ 23/ 10