Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 09-24-1990 Special — reading text

Council, as elected officials, will have to get a broader tax base for the City to operate. something at the State level to get some of the sales tax to spread it all around because it takes all the ad valorem taxes to pay the police fund. 14 9- 24- 90 90/ 91 BUDGET ( CONT.) Mr. deVaux asked, on the County wide 1/ 2 cent sales tax for the County jail. which will be taken off in two year, if they as a City could leave that 1/ 2 cent on for the City. The Finance Director said it has to be for capital improvements. Mr. deVaux asked, when the time expired. if the City could ask the taxpayers to leave the 1/ 2 cent. The Finance Director said it would have to be voted on, it was City a County referendum, not a referendum. Mr. deVaux thought the City said he approved a resolution with the County to let them have the money. that it would go to the City if they had not approved it. Mr. Rosenbaum said the City had to agree with the County not to take the City' s portion from the 1/ 2 cent County wide tax. Mr. Maney moved to adjourn. The Finance Director said tomorrow night is the public hearing at 7: 00 p. m., which has to be held; and Council has to decide on the millage tomorrow, or they will have to start allover. He said the millage was advertised at 6 mills which is a 12%increase; the overall budget was a 6. 32% increase. He said tomorrow night they have to adopt by resolution the millage rate first, then the second reading of the ordinance, they and put have to into the resolution, if they adopt the 6 mills. what percent it increased; if they adopt anything in between they have to put that percentage in, which is a new requirement. He said everything they do is dictated by the State, and is a very complicated statute to follow. The City Manager said he noticed some of the people in the audience and he knows their question, there seems to be some confusion; at the last Special meeting he stated in the Police Budget there was $ 1. 000 plus a co st of living in the proposed budget. He said the reason for that is the Crime Committee recommended to Council that a Police Officer who starts at approximately $ 17, 000, that would be one on probation. the minimum pay be that in the area of $ 19, 000 once they get off probation. He said the way the pay system currently works in the City. a probationary officer gets evaluated in six months and can get an increase of maybe 4 or 5%. He said this snowballed, that means that every other officer would have to get $ 1, 000. He said there were six Council members present when that recommendation was made, a motion was made and voted on 5 to 1, and the words of the motion was to include that paragraph as policy. He said his question is, was that establishing policy for this coming year and the year after that, or was that establishing just the current budget year. He said he just wanted to clear it up for information right now. he is not sure there is an answer.  15 9- 24- 90 90/ 91 BUDGET ( CONT.) Mr. Wyatt said he was not sure they can make a motion like that and say hire on this year for $ 1, 000; he thought it was from then on that they raised that entry level. The City Manager said that should be addressed each year in the budget process, any pay scale, the salaries. He said he is only asking because the motion worded that way. Mr. deVaux asked if the motion I was was worded to start it October 1st or wait until January 1st. The City Manager said there was nothing in the recommendation on when it would start, but he believed it started January 1st. Mr. deVaux said that would give them three months to look at it again, unless he wants a decision now. The City Manager said he is not asking Council to make a decision on it, he is providing information because it seemed there were some surprised people when he said that. Mr. deVaux said he thinks they need to do the budget first and if it is in the budget, then that is fine. The Mayor said it is not in the budget. The City Manager said it is in the budget. The Mayor said when they were given the figures on the proposed budget for the payroll and the 5% increase. The City Manager said the 5% will change that. He said the salary in the Police Department, if approved, is increased 10. 61%. Mr. Smith said he will say it one more time. he has nothing against the Police Department, but there are some 340 employees, and until all the departments are looked at, he cannot vote for that, and he did not vote for it then; he feels they need to evaluate all of them and look at all of them. and if they are going to give them a percent or a