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No millage increase for Holmes Beach property owners

No millage increase for Holmes Beach property owners

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – The mayor and city commissioners are maintaining the current 1.99 millage rate rather than increasing it to the maximum 2.1812 millage rate tentatively adopted by a 3-2 vote in late July.

During the city commission’s Sept. 11 budget hearing, City Treasurer Julie Marcotte presented a revised budget that’s now based on maintaining the 1.99 millage rate. The commission adopted on first reading the millage rate and budget ordinances that will be presented for final adoption on Thursday, Sept. 25. The new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

The proposed $22.07 million 2025-26 budget represents a $3 million decrease from the current $25.23 million fiscal year budget.

No millage increase for Holmes Beach property owners
Shown here at a July meeting, City Treasurer Julie Marcotte played a significant role in crafting the city’s 2025-26 fiscal year budget. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When presenting the proposed budget in early July, Marcotte and Mayor Judy Titsworth proposed a tentative 2.1812 millage rate increase to help offset what was then expected to be an 8.33% decline in total as­sessed Holmes Beach property values. As the county’s property valuation process continued, the estimated total property value decrease was revised to 7.99% for the coming tax year. When property values increase and the millage rate remains the same, property taxes and the city’s property tax revenues increase; and the op­posite happens if property values decrease.

Marcotte said some of the budget revisions were the result of getting more detailed revenue projections from the state and county. She said updating the employee salary schedule and employee health insurance policy selections saved an additional $51,163 and updating the city’s property and casualty insurance costs saved an additional $28,000.

The revised budget includes an additional $100,000 increase in es­timated building permit fee revenues and the reallocation of $25,000 in city funds to the police department budget to help cover the cost of patrolling the county-owned beach and boat ramp. Titsworth hopes to recoup that $25,000 from the county during the new fiscal year.

The Islanders 4 Clean Water budget was trimmed by $15,000, the contin­gency fund was reduced by $150,000 and a $100,000 potable water project was removed from the budget.

The budget lists the mayor’s annual salary at $29,200 and the commis­sioners’ annual salaries at $8,340.

“With these changes, we were able to set the millage rate at 1.99 and have 25% of our unrestricted reserves that is suggested by the GFOA (Govern­ment Finance Officers Association) and auditors for our governmental needs,” Marcotte said.

When comparing the new budget to the current budget, Commission Chair Dan Diggins said the mayor and commission expenditures are decreas­ing by $50,000, general government expenses are decreasing by $200,000, police department expenditures are increasing by $200,000 (in part to hire an additional officer), building department expenses are increasing by $180,000 and anticipated Public Works Department expenditures are decreasing by $900,000 due to the completion of several projects.

Commissioner Steve Oelfke asked Marcotte if it’s accurate to say the city created a budget that provides a tax cut to the taxpayers. Marcotte said that is correct.

Commissioner Carol Soustek thanked the department heads and employees that eliminated or post­poned some of their planned projects and expenditures.

“What that does is show the com­munity that we understand where you’re coming from,” Soustek said in regard to potentially increasing the millage rate at a time when many property owners are still recover­ing from the 2024 hurricanes.

“I just want to congratulate the mayor and Julie for doing such remarkable work,” Diggins added. “It lets the community know that we understand what you’ve been through. I think it’s the right thing to do.”

“I wasn’t certain we could do this,” Commis­sioner Terry Schaefer said. “Getting it back to the existing millage without a loss to service is remarkable and I, too, want to compliment the mayor, our treasurer and all of the depart­ment heads.”

Participating by phone, Commissioner Carol Whitmore said, “Thank you mayor for working so hard on this. I know it wasn’t easy and I appreciate it; and so do our citizens.”

See the entire 2025-26 fiscal year budget here.

County budget includes tax cut and infrastructure investments

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Featured.

MANATEE COUNTY – Commissioners have unanimously approved the county’s 2021-22 fiscal year budget, which will take effect when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

When adopting the budget on Tuesday, Aug. 14, commissioners also approved a plan set forth by County Administrator Scott Hopes that will reduce by .2 mills the ad valorem property tax rate assessed by the county next year. According to a press release issued by the county last week, this will be Manatee County’s first property tax cut since 2008.

The millage rate decrease will result in many owners seeing an approximate $50 decrease in their next property tax bill, according to another release.

“The millage reduction is made possible largely by another year of significant increases in local property values. Under the current tax rate, rising values would have resulted in a $21 million increase in revenues over the current fiscal year. Instead, commissioners unanimously approved the .2 mill reduction, which returns $8.3 million to taxpayers,” the press release states.

“The board of county commissioners also approved the largest five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in Manatee County’s history, totaling more than $997 million dollars of investments in infrastructure, public safety, parks and our environment. The county commission is investing $350.3 million in transportation projects, $80.3 million in parks, and $39.1 million in public safety projects,” the press release notes.

“Even with the millage reduction, the budget invests heavily in local infrastructure improvements. Nearly $350.3 million in transportation and road projects, plus significant investments in public safety and law enforcement highlight the $923 million budget. The adopted budget includes new investments in the county’s workforce to respond to increased capital projects workloads and service levels,” according to the press release.

The anticipated workforce increases include:

  • 14 new sheriff’s office deputies, one resource assistance program deputy to focus on homeless issues, one body-worn camera deputy to lead the education and training for new technology and one school resource officer.
  • 14 new positions in the Building and Development Services Department.
  • 12 new paramedics.
  • One new 911 telecommunicator, two 911 customer services representatives and one customer services representative for 311 data entry.

The list of county roads to be widened from two lanes to four lanes as part of the five-year CIP plan includes:

  • 59th Street West from Cortez Road to Manatee Avenue ($23.4 million).
  • 63rd Avenue East from U.S. 301 to Tuttle Avenue ($16.2 million).
  • 75th Street West from 20th Avenue West to Manatee Avenue ($11.1 million).

Commissioners’ comments

In one of the press releases, County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh stated, “I think Dr. Hopes and (Chief Financial Officer Jan) Brewer have done a fabulous job in this budget. It is wonderful to be working on such a large infrastructure program to help the traffic congestion in our county because of the population growth and to give the citizens a reduction in millage for the first time since 2008.”

“We have embarked on an aggressive road improvement campaign while simultaneously cutting taxes. Major road improvements have been budgeted for District 3,” District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge stated in the release.

“With the increase in property values, we were fortunate to have $100 million more than we did last year. With the values on the rise and all the new construction, we were able to lower taxes and leverage a line of credit to get these roads and critical transportation needs going,” Holmes Beach resident and At-Large Commissioner Carol Whitmore stated in the release.

“You are seeing things move in the county at a rate in the county that you haven’t seen in some time. We are going to get a lot of things done,” Hopes stated in the release.

Law enforcement

According to the press release, “The largest one-year investment in the budget remains in the areas of law enforcement and public safety. Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells’ annual budget will increase by $12.6 million to cover funding for 14 new deputies, an additional patrol boat to expand marine responses, one resource assistance program deputy to focus on homeless issues, one body-worn  camera deputy to lead the education and training for new technology, one school resource officer and one Domestic Violence Unit Detective.”
“In partnership with Sheriff Wells, we have identified an increased investment to meet the safety needs of our rapidly growing population,” Hopes stated in the press release.