BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

 

     The following is a non-verbatim transcript of the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, held at 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, in Room 1028 of the SEMINOLE COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING at SANFORD, FLORIDA, the usual place of meeting of said Board.

     Present:

Chairman Brenda Carey (District 5)

Vice Chairman Jay Zembower (District 2)

     Commissioner Robert Dallari (District 1)

     Commissioner Lee Constantine (District 3)

     Commissioner Amy Lockhart (District 4)

     County Manager Nicole Guillet

     County Attorney Bryant Applegate

     Clerk of Court & Comptroller Grant Maloy

Deputy Clerk Chariti Colon

 

 

Commissioner Lockhart led the Pledge of Allegiance.  Chairman Carey announced it is the 18th anniversary of 9/11 and called for a moment of silence. 

PUBLIC HEARING

TENTATIVE FY 2019/2020 BUDGET

     Chairman Carey advised that the Board of County Commissioners does not have any control over the tax levies or budgets of the School Board, the Water Management District, or any of the seven cities in Seminole County.  Questions regarding property assessed valuations should be addressed to the Property Appraiser, David Johnson.  The Board of County Commissioners has limited authority over the budgets of the Constitutional Officers of the County which include the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Property Appraiser, the Sheriff, the Supervisor of Elections, and the Tax Collector.  Chairman Carey described how the budgets for the Constitutional Officers are reviewed and approved.  She pointed out that by Florida law, two public hearings must be held before adopting the final millage rates and annual budget for Seminole County.  The purpose of this first public hearing is to hear public comments regarding the proposed millage rates and budget, amend the budget as desired by the Board, and to tentatively adopt the millage rates and budget of the County for FY 2019/20. 

     Chairman Carey stated the first public hearing has been advertised through the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes which was previously mailed by the Property Appraiser's Office in August to all ad valorem taxpayers of the County.

     Lorie Bailey Brown, Resource Management Director, addressed the Board and displayed a PowerPoint presentation (received and filed) for the FY 2019/20 Tentative Budget.  She reviewed Budget Development for the upcoming fiscal year.  She explained there were four budget work sessions held, and the final public hearing for final approval of the millage rates and the budget will be on September 24, 2019.

Ms. Bailey Brown displayed the Millage Rate Summary and reviewed millage rates for the Adopted 2018/19 Budget; Tentative 2019/20 Budget; Rolled-Back Rate; and the Percentage Increase in the Proposed Millage Rates over the Rolled-Back Millage Rates for Countywide, the Fire Services District, and the Roads District.  Ms. Bailey Brown continued by reviewing 2019 Change in Taxable Property Values and the Tentative Budget Summary (totaling $836,411,822).  The Tentative Budget is detailed by fund on pages 11 and 12 of the First Public Hearing Book (copy received and filed).  She noted the total Tentative Budget is decreased by $1,563,283 from the Proposed Budget due to the Sheriff’s budget decrease of $4.9 million for contracts that will not flow through the BOCC but will still be part of the Sheriff’s budget.  This decrease to the BOCC budget is offset by budget increases for grants, adjustments to fund balance, and investments in the Environmental Department and Fire Mobile Technology Refresh Plan.  This reduction is detailed on pages 13 and 14 of the First Public Hearing Book.

Ms. Bailey Brown reviewed a pie chart depicting the total proposed Expenditures Budget of $564.8 million by Service Area.  She concluded her presentation by stating the Board is also requested to approve Exhibit C, Revisions to Project Listing, which is detailed on page 23 of the First Public Hearing Book.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

     Bill Hyde, 2379 Audley Street, Oviedo, stated he followed the entire budget process and downloaded everything made available online.  He thanked the Board for providing that information to the public.  Mr. Hyde stated he was prepared to explain why it is not fair to the taxpayers to say the County is holding the taxes by holding the millage rate when really taxpayers will be paying more money because of increased property values.  Mr. Hyde stated after attending yesterday’s budget work session he realized nothing he is going to say is going to change anything.  He expressed his appreciation for relief provided to senior citizens and disabled veterans.  Mr. Hyde stated the Board is supposed to be a great steward of taxpayer money and he thinks they can do a better job.

     With regard to public participation, no one else in the audience spoke in support or in opposition and public input was closed.

Public Comment Form received and filed.

DISCUSSION

     Chairman Carey stated part of the countywide budget includes funding for the Constitutional Officers.  There is a request from the Supervisor of Elections, Chris Anderson, for an almost 39% increase in his budget, which is over a million dollar increase to last year's $2.8 million budget.  The Chairman advised she did meet with the Supervisor of Elections after his presentation to see if there were some costs that could be deferred.  The Constitutional Officers have historically been very good about partnering with the County in helping reduce costs when asked.  Chairman Carey stated she will be voting against the tentative millage rate for the countywide millage because she cannot support the request from the Supervisor of Elections. 

Commissioner Zembower stated he reviewed the budgets, and the County is still recovering from a downturn and many things remain unfunded.  There is somewhere close to $50 million of deferred or unfunded maintenance and repairs, replacement of fleet, and so forth.  It is very important to him that they try to get the county back to where it once was and allow staff the ability to move forward with the property equipment, rolling stock, as well as maintaining the taxpayers’ infrastructure the best they are able to do so. 

Chairman Carey stated it is a philosophical issue to her.  The Board tries to provide the needs of the Constitutional Officers.  She asked the Supervisor of Elections what his immediate needs were and he told her, and she cannot figure out how he gets to that number.

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     Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Constantine, to adopt the FY 2019/20 countywide tentative millage rate of 4.8751 mills.

     Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 voted AYE.

     District 5 voted NAY

Motion passes 4 to 1.

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Motion by Commissioner Lockhart, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the FY 2019/20 Fire MSTU tentative millage rate of 2.7649 mills.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.

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Motion by Commissioner Constantine, seconded by Commissioner Zembower, to adopt the FY 2019/20 Unincorporated Road District MSTU tentative millage rate of 0.1107 mills.

District 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.

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     At the request of Chairman Carey, Ms. Bailey Brown read the established millage rates into the public record as follows:  The tentative countywide General Fund property tax rate of 4.8751 mills represents a 6.07% increase over the rolled-back millage rate of 4.5960 mills.  The tentative County Municipal Fire Services District property tax of 2.7649 mills represents a 6.12% increase over the rolled-back millage rate of 2.6054 mills.  The tentative Unincorporated Road District ad valorem tax rate of 0.1107 mills represents a 5.73% increase over the rolled-back rate of 0.1047 mills.  The tentative “aggregate” millage rate for all BCC taxing districts is 6.9062 mills, which represents a 5.637% increase over the current year “aggregate” rolled-back millage rate of 6.5381 mills.

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     Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Constantine, to approve and authorize revisions to Exhibit C, Project List of the 2014 Interlocal Agreement among Seminole County, the School Board of Seminole County, and the Signatory Municipalities Pertaining to the Shared Distribution and Use of the One-Cent Local Government Infrastructure Sales Tax.

     Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.

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     Motion by Commissioner Constantine, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the proposed tentative budget for all funds for FY 2019/20 as presented to the Board of County Commissioners by the County Manager in official capacity as Budget Officer and subsequently adjusted as the tentative budget of the Board of County Commissioners.

     Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.

Chairman Carey requested her earlier comments regarding the tentative millage rate be noted for the record.  

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     Chairman Carey announced that the final public hearing to adopt the FY 2019/20 millage rates and budget is scheduled for September 24, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.

     Motion by Commissioner Lockhart, seconded by Commissioner Zembower, to approve the second public hearing to take final action on the millage rates and budget for FY 2019/20 to be advertised for Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioners’ Chambers, and authorize staff to advertise the tentative budget and public hearing pursuant to Florida Statutes, Chapter 129 and 200. 

     Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.

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     There being no further business to come before the Board, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m., this same date. 

 

ATTEST:_______________________Clerk_____________________Chairman

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