ANNA MARIA – Guided by City Treasurer Randy Maxson, the city of Anna Maria’s department heads presented their departmental budget requests to the mayor and commission during the commission’s July 30 budget workshop.
When presenting their departmental budget requests, each department head or department representative provided overviews of that department’s operations and explained how the $17 million proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget supports their department’s requested expenditures.
The budget is currently based on the current 1.65 millage rate being maintained for another year, even though the commission, on July 23, voted 4-1 to set the tentative maximum millage rate at 1.85 mills. During the July 23 budget workshop, Commissioner Charlie Salem said he will not support a millage rate increase – and a new state law would require a unanimous commission vote in September to raise the millage rate above 1.65 mills.
During the July 30 budget workshop, Maxson said the proposed budget figures listed on the latest budget report continue to shift as the budget is revised. He said the proposed budget now aims to set aside 3% of the city’s revenues to help replenish the city’s depleted reserves. He said that 3% of the proposed $17 million budget would equate to $510,000 being set aside to help replenish the city’s reserves that in recent years have dropped from $4 million to approximately $1 million, due in large part to the 2024 hurricanes.
Salem asked Maxson how the proposed 2026-27 $17 million budget compares to the current fiscal year 2025-26 budget, and how it compares to previous years’ budgets.
Maxson and Mayor Mark Short said the current fiscal year budget was inflated by hurricane-related costs. Short said past Anna Maria budgets averaged $10 million to $12 million.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
When presenting their respective department’s requested expenditures, each presenter provided a brief overview of what that department does.
Participating in his first Anna Maria budget preparation cycle, Maxson presented the finance department’s requested $533,314 in expenditures, which include $110,000 to create a new position for an employee who assists with the pursuit of grants and provides additional assistance to the finance department. The budget report lists $279,712 for the finance department’s total salaries and wages.
Maxson said his goal as treasurer is to help generate enough revenue, or save the city enough money, to cover his salary. He said through negotiations, he was able to reduce the city’s property, casualty and workers’ compensation insurance premiums from $560,000 to $290,000, which equates to a $270,000 savings in the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Maxson said he can’t yet confirm the city’s final expenditures or carryover funds for the current 2025-26 fiscal year budget that ends Sept. 30.
“We spent a lot more than we brought in, so that would have created a deficit,” he said of the current fiscal year budget.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
When presenting the building department’s proposed $696,657 in expenditures, Short said the city’s building department services are contracted to Joe Payne Inc. (JPI) in exchange for 49.5% of the building permit fees the city receives monthly. The budget worksheet anticipates $495,000 will be paid to JPI during the new fiscal year. Short noted the city’s contract with JPI guarantees the company a monthly minimum payment, which is $37,000 according to the contract signed in May.
COMMISSION BUDGET
The commission’s proposed $349,127 in expenditures includes $180,000 for legal fees and $60,000 for the city’s contracted lobbyist. Short said the commission’s budget will increase from $180,000 to $349,000 primarily because the city’s legal expenses and lobbyist expenses are being consolidated into the commission expenditures, rather than being shared by multiple departments as was done in the past. The commission budget also contains reallocated insurance and IT costs. When asked, Short said the mayor’s annual salary is $19,500 and commissioners receive a $400 monthly stipend.
DEBT SERVICE
The budget report prepared by Maxson lists $2.77 million in debt service and notes $2.41 million of that debt is for the reconstruction of the hurricane-damaged City Pier that’s expected to reopen later this year.
PARKS AND RECREATION
The budget report lists $270,046 in expenditures for parks and recreation. Short said the city’s parks and recreation amenities and services are funded primarily by property tax revenues. He said a portion of the impact fees levied on new construction is also dedicated to parks and recreation.
He said the largest parks and recreation expenses pertain to the city-hosted, city-sponsored or city-supported events that include Bayfest, the annual Memorial Day tribute, the annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony, the Holiday Walk on Pine Avenue, the seasonal City Block Parties held at City Pier Park and the city’s annual donation to The Center of Anna Maria Island.
CLERK’S OFFICE
When presenting the city clerk’s department’s $267,523 in proposed expenditures, Deputy City Clerk Barbara Jeffries first expressed her appreciation for the city and her co-workers, and her love for her job.
Regarding the budget, she said, “Everything you’ll see in this reflects our commitment to transparency, compliance and providing the best possible service to our residents.”
She said the office’s biggest request is for information technology and software used for records management, meeting agenda creation and management, communicating with the public and addressing the citizens’ concerns and more.
Jeffries said the city has received more than 300 public records requests this year. She said the clerk’s office is also pursuing an agenda-management system to streamline department workflows. She also requested continued funding for staff training through the Florida Association of City Clerks and other training programs.
HUMAN RESOURCES
When presenting the human resources department’s (HR) $67,675 in requested expenditures, City Clerk Amber LaRowe said the human resources function historically lacked dedicated funding, but that department is now being formalized in the new budget. She said attracting and retaining employees is a top priority.
She said the city had 25 voluntary employee resignations between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, but only three voluntary resignations since October 2025. LaRowe outlined six HR priorities that included workforce development, safety training, employee recognition and background screening and more.
PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
When presenting the planning and community development department’s $442,001 requested expenditures, City Planner Ashley Austin said the department handles long-range planning and current zoning, permitting and code compliance, and coordinates with other agencies, including Turtle Watch, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FEMA. She said the city’s code has not kept pace with changes over the past 12 years, and she cited hurricane restoration, historic preservation and updated seawall and dock ordinances as some recent accomplishments.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
When presenting the code enforcement department’s $623,357 in requested expenditures, Manager Tom Collins noted the department operates seven days a week, closing only for Thanksgiving, Christmas and hurricanes. He said the department prioritizes education over issuing citations.
He said the city currently had 903 active vacation rentals as of Thursday, and the code enforcement department took over vacation rental inspections earlier this year as the city is no longer contracting that work to a third party. He said the immediate goal is to bring the known short-term rentals into full compliance with city code, before shifting to stricter enforcement and an increased effort to identify non-registered vacation rentals whose unregistered operations could result in the property owner being fined $250 per day.
Short said all recently flagged noncompliant rental properties came into compliance within 10 days.
PUBLIC WORKS
When presenting the public works department’s $908,145 budget requests, Manager Dean Jones said public safety remains the department’s top priority, followed closely by stormwater and drainage maintenance and improvements.
He noted the city will soon receive the results of a stormwater resiliency study that will help guide future stormwater expenditures and assist with the pursuit of grants to help fund stormwater and drainage improvements.
Jones said the final piece of Kebony decking was installed on the City Pier earlier that day. He said the public works department now uses the GoGov software platform to track and respond to service requests from citizens.
He cited aging equipment, including a 2013 Jeep, as a budget concern, and he said staff retention remains strong.
Short said the new public works department building to be built using a recently approved $1.25 million state appropriation is now in the design and permitting process that’s expected to take several months.
The public works department expenditures also include $204,100 for roads.
As the workshop came to an end, the commissioners thanked Maxson for his efforts and thanked the department heads for the presentations. The city staff members thanked the mayor and the commission for allowing them to be more involved in the budget preparation process this year.
The commission’s next budget workshop is Thursday, Aug. 6, at 10 a.m.
