BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA
SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
The following is a non-verbatim transcript
of the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MEETING OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, held at 7:30 p.m., on Tuesday,
September 19, 2017, in Room 1028 of the SEMINOLE
COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING at SANFORD,
FLORIDA, the usual place of meeting of said Board.
Present:
Chairman John Horan (District 2)
Vice Chairman Brenda Carey (District 5)
Commissioner
Robert Dallari (District 1)
Commissioner Lee Constantine (District 3)
Commissioner Carlton Henley (District 4)
County Manager Nicole Guillet
County Attorney Bryant Applegate
Deputy Clerk Kyla Spencer
Chairman Horan led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
PUBLIC HEARING
TENTATIVE FY 2017/2018 BUDGET
Chairman Horan 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 valuation should be addressed to
the Property Appraiser, David Johnson, who is present. 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 Horan described how the budgets for
the Constitutional Officers are reviewed and approved. He 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 2017/18.
Chairman Horan stated the first public hearing was originally
advertised for September 13 through the notice of proposed property taxes that
was mailed by the Property Appraisers Office in August to all ad valorem
taxpayers of the County. In response to
the threat of Hurricane Irma, this meeting was rescheduled to today following
the guidelines and advertising requirements of the Department of Revenues
Emergency Executive Order #17.235.
Edward Bass, Resource Management Director, addressed the Board
to display a PowerPoint presentation (received and filed) for the FY 2017/18
Tentative Budget. He displayed the first
slide and reviewed Budget Development for the upcoming fiscal year. He explained that the County Manager
submitted her proposed budget to the Board in July and two budget work sessions
were held with the Board in August. Mr.
Bass stated tonight is the first public hearing. It was originally scheduled for September 13,
as the Chairman said, but due to Hurricane Irma, it is scheduled tonight in
accordance with Emergency Order #17.235 guidelines. Mr. Bass announced the second public hearing
is scheduled for September 26 for approval of the FY 2017/18 final millage
rates and budget.
Mr. Bass
stated proposed adjustments totaling $2,555,636 are being made to the County
Managers original proposed budget, which are summarized on page 11 and
detailed by fund on page 13 of the First Public Hearing book (received and
filed). Adjustments include items
discussed with and actions taken by the Board since release of the County
Managers proposed budget as well as any updated projections in revenues or
expenditures since that time.
Mr. Bass
displayed the Millage Rate Summary and advised the proposed FY 2017/18 Budget
presented for tentative adoption is based on the millage rates shown on the
slide. He reviewed millage rates for the
Adopted 2016/17 Budget; Proposed 2017/18 Budget; Rolled-Back Property Tax
Rates; and the Percentage Change in the Proposed Millage Rates over the Rolled-Back
Millage Rates for Countywide, the Fire Services District, and the Road
District. Mr. Bass stated the Proposed
Aggregate Millage Rate for all BCC taxing districts is 6.9261 mills, which
represents a 10.69% increase over the current Aggregate Rolled-Back Millage Rate
of 6.2574. He continued by reviewing
slides relating to the 2017 Change in Taxable Property Values and Property Tax
Revenue. He announced the General Fund budget
is balanced with no use of reserves for FY 2017/18. Mr. Bass stated Fire Fund ad valorem revenue
increased by $11.9 million based on the tentative Fire operating millage rate
thats presented in the tentative budget.
This increase will be used to provide fire rescue services to
unincorporated Seminole County, and the cities of Altamonte Springs,
Casselberry and Winter Springs. Mr. Bass reviewed the Proposed Budget
Summary (totaling $755,454,522) and a pie chart depicting the total proposed Expenditures
Budget of almost $500 million by Service Area.
Mr. Bass concluded his presentation by displaying and reviewing the 2014
Sales Tax Exhibit C Project Revision slides.
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
Mike Steinke, 584 Queens Mirror Circle, addressed the Board and
stated his concern is the numbers dont mean much to him, but he knows he
doesnt like taxes. He encouraged the
Board to look into the budget. Mr.
Steinke discussed the increase in properties.
He stated he doesnt like to see things get out of hand and he is taxed
pretty good right now.
Nicole Guillet, County Manager, stated she believes they are
going to have some comments on the millage adjustment for the Fire Fund. She opined it may be beneficial if she
provides an explanation before the Board continues with Public Participation. Chairman Horan agreed.
Ms. Guillet stated the millage adjustment that is proposed in the
County Manager's proposed budget this year
is an adjustment to the millage
for the Fire F_%1_Fund
which is a specialized
fund used solely to
pro_%1_vide fire
pro_%1_tection to
the citizens of unincorporated Seminole County, the cities of Altamonte Springs,
Winter Springs, and Casselberry. It is a fund
that experienced a millage
reduction in 2008
in response to the econom_&&1_ic downturn. And
since that _&,3_time,
the Fire Fund_&21_ has largely been
balanced by the use _&:1_of reserves. She
explained this year_&A1_, revenues
for the Fire Fund _&H1_will be at
about $58.7 million and the cost _&T3_to run
the Fire Department and _%_Emergency Medical
Services is $67.4 million, so _&e2_they are operating
at a shortfall. It
is a very _&r5_expensive operation
to run and a critical _&2_service operation
for the County, arguably the most important service that the County provides to its citizens
because it is a life-safety
issue; and the last two weeks have
certainly punctuated the
importance of emergency services to
this community.
Ms. Guillet explained as part of
this budget, they put together a proposed revision to the Fire millage rate in
order to ensure that they would be able to adequately fund those Fire services
at the existing level of service or better for the next ten years, so that's
where that increase of .435 mills came from.
Staff determined what their expenses would be for the next ten years to
provide that level of service. This is a
very capital-intensive program, so there are a lot of very expensive items that
go into running the Fire services; everything from fire stations to fire
engines. It is also the County's largest
department from a personnel standpoint.
Then they looked
at how much revenue they would have to generate
over the next ten years in
order to sustain the level
of service that they provide to the
community at this time. Ms. Guillet pointed out it is not an adjustment to the overall millage for general government
services, it is specifically to
pro_'1_vide fire
and _'1_emergency
medical services to unincorporated
Seminole County, and the
cities of Casselberry, Altamonte Springs, and Winter Springs. Chairman
Horan _'1_added
the _(A1__(B2__(D1__(E4_.4350 of a mill that
is _(L1_proposed
for the Fire _(Q1_Fund increase only applies
to _(Y1_taxpayers in the unincorporated areas
or _(c1__(d1_in one of the cities
where the Count_(j1_y provides the municipal
service of fire and
emergency medical _({3_transportation. Commissioner
Constantine
noted the millage
rate of the Countywide Property Tax
and the millage rate for the Road MSTU
are not increasing,
they are remaining _(1_the same
mill_(1_age rate
as they have always
been.
Commissioner Carey stated in the Fire policy, there is a response time goal of five minutes. She
asked what would happen to the response time if they didn't increase the Fire millage. Ms.
Guillet replied she can't say exactly what would happen
to the response time with
respect to an incremental decrease. However,
she can say next year the
County would run out of
the reserves that they
have been using to balance
the_)}2_ budget,
and they are pulling almost $10 million
from
reserves to fully fund
functions this year. Staff
will have to look at some
serious level-of-service
reductions if they do
not _)1_shore
up the Fire F_)1_FFund. She
indicated staff has not
talked about what those
reductions might be,
but they will have to
find a way to
cut_)1_ expenses; and one
of _)1__)2_the biggest expenses is
personnel_)2_, so that's certainly one place where they
would look. Commissioner
Carey discussed how Station #29 in Oviedo was put on hold due to the
rollback in 2008 and the impact that hurricanes have to the General Fund budget. She
stated this Board _+~1_has worked
very hard through the tough
times to make sure
that they had
a structurally balanced budget without
raising taxes to their
citizens and they have gone as long
as they can. Ms.
Guillet noted with respect to
the Fire Fund, the millage reduction in
2008_+1_ resulted
in _+3_$54 million less in revenue over that time period.
Commissioner Henley discussed how the County has put off purchasing new rolling stock and the
need for new rolling stock due to equipment failures. _%__,1_ He
agreed with Commissioner Carey that for a number of years
they put off stations that should have already _,1_been in
op_,1_eration,
like Station #29. He
pointed out if you look at the millage structure in Seminole
County, you'll find it's one
of the lowest in the state of
Florida; and that didn't
happen by accident,
it happened as a result of
th_,1_e Board
being as conservative as
they could be and trying to _,1_stretch every
dollar. Commissioner Henley stated the County is _,2__,2_trying to spend it
wisely and be able to provide the service
that the citizens of
this community _,1_deserve; and as unpopular as
taxes are, there
comes a time when
you have to bite the
bullet in order
to _-92_maintain the
service that people have come
accustomed to in this
county.
Commissioner Dallari stated public _-1__"_safety is the
Board's primary job. Since the rollback in 2008, staff has
been looking _-1_at the budget _-1_year after
year_-1__-2_ for
efficiencies. Ms. Guillet explained
staff knew
that the day
was _.`1_going to
come where they would have to
make a tough decision
about funding _.q1_the Fire
Fund or addressing levels
of _.x2_service. Her recommendation is they fund
to the level that will allow
them to continue to
pro_.1_vide the same level of
service that they have been providing.
She stated they looked
at the Fire Department about three years ago. They
did _.1_a management
audit and looked at all
of the operations _.1_there and
where they could improve
efficiencies
and where they could provide
the_.1_ same level
of _.2_service but
do _.1__.1_it in a more efficient_.1__.1_ and
more cost-conscience way. She expressed theyhave made a lot
of _.2_changes
and everyone has pulled
together to try to improve efficiencies within that department. They have saved about $1 million
in personnel costs in the last year through the efficiencies that have been
developed within that department.
Ms. Guillet stated if they don't fund
these services at adequate levels, it will have a detrimental impact on _0!1_the
community; and she thinks
that they are at the point
where they are running
a _011_very tight
ship.
They have done very
detailed projections
for _0C1_their needs
for the next ten years including anticipated personnel
needs and anticipated capital needs, and they have identified all of the major capital _0]2_projects.
She
confirmed for a number of years they didn't buy fleet
in _0m1_an attempt
to _0p1_save money; but they are finally getting
back to _0|1_where they
need to be to have
a _01_fully
working, fully adequate, complemented
fleet. They
want to continue to
be able to maintain their
equipment, facilities and staffing at a level that provides the
best service to the citizens _01_in the
county.
Ms. Guillet discussed the significant capital investments in the
Fire operation that dictated a ten-year outlook. She indicated staff has gone through a number
of scenarios with the Board and run every possible number. She added she did not come up with a round
number because she did not want to ask for more than they need. Commissioner Constantine reiterated they are
not talking about a countywide increase in millage rates, they are only talking
about the Fire millage for unincorporated Seminole County and the cities of Winter Springs, Casselberry and Altamonte Springs.
Matt Collins,
1733 Willow Circle, addressed the Board and stated he is the Executive _#_Director
of the Seminole Committee for Government _%_Accountability and they are opposed to any tax
increase on this matter. Mr. Collins opined
the government has been underfunding the Fire Fund but at the same time millions of dollars in
irresponsible spending, waste, fraud, abuse, pet projects and cronyism has also gone on.
He discussed how this increase hurts hardworking families, lower income
families and families on a fixed income.
He talked about the Republican platform and how Republicans oppose tax
increases. Mr. Collins stated the County
needs to be better stewards of the taxpayers money before they try to raise
their taxes.
Shaun Kunz, 670 Venture Court, addressed the Board and opined the
idea of a tax
hike after the _41_year of
spending frivolously that the County
had planned is a bit audacious. He discussed the destruction from Hurricane
Irma and how raising taxes right now is bad timing for many citizens. He commended the heroism of firefighters and
claimed they do not show up to work to create revenue for anyone. Mr. Kunz noted the medical marijuana industry
would increase sales tax organically.
Doreen Freeman,
705 Mellonville Avenue, addressed the Board and stated she was glad to
hear and relieved that Sanford
is _61_not one
of the areas that
is _61_going to
be affected by the
increase; however, she would still be opposed to it. She expressed the penny sales tax was
supposed to suffice and increase revenues to where taxpayers wouldnt have to do
property taxes, but here they are increasing property taxes. Ms. Freeman stated she is tired of corporate
welfare.
Upon Commissioner Careys request, Ms. Guillet explained the
penny sales tax and discussed what it may legally be used for.
Erica O'Connor,
844 Brightview Drive, addressed the Board and stated she doesn't understand the correlation between
increasing property taxes and
funding the Fire Department. She
opined a wise person would
have started scheduling for and
accommodating to the F_:1_Fire Department correctly
instead of taking taxpayers _;$2_money, which
they work
very hard to achieve. She agreed that due to Hurricane Irma, this
seems to be bad timing for taxpayers. She
suggested the Board consider the increase for next year since constituents have
a lot of property damage right now. She
questioned levels of service and Chairman Horan replied the Board tries to set
the taxes at the lowest rate that will provide enough revenue for an adequate
level of service in all of the Countys service functions, keeping in mind that
the taxpayers dont have limitless sources.
Ms. OConnor asked if there have been complaints against the Fire
Department. Chairman Horan answered there
are standards in terms of response time and so forth that the County tries to
meet to maintain certifications.
Commissioner Constantine confirmed with Mr. Bass that for a
$200,000 home, taxpayers are looking at an increase of approximately $65. He pointed out of the $755 million proposed
budget for all budgets, it is an increase of $6.8 million countywide, which is
less than 1%.
Lois Fairbrother,
973 Stonewood Lane, addressed the Board and stated she is
representing herself and many ladies who are over 70. She expressed as she has suffered from taxes
on everything, she has had to make concessions.
She discussed cutting down on shopping and pest control. She discussed previous Commissioners
salaries, retirement and pensions and suggested some of that money could go to
the Fire Fund.
Nicole Ouellette,
1417 South Oak Avenue, addressed the Board and thanked her fellow citizens for taking the
time out of their day to be
heard tonight. She stated she is really
upset with what she is hearing: fear mongering and business-as-usual excuses
for why the County cant make the community better. She discussed why people move into
unincorporated areas and accountability.
Ms. Ouellette suggested coming up with better ways to make the community
safe and feasible. She stated she is a
medical massage therapist and she had clients who couldnt afford her rates for
their health care, so she cut her rates in half. She expressed everyone needs to step up and
the Board needs to be the leaders and step up first to show everybody how it
can be done. She discussed the need for
citizens to take care of the property they are living on.
Alice Van Wye, 2824 _%_Magnolia Avenue,
addressed the Board and noted she is a baby boomer on a fixed income and her food and
healthcare costs are going off the charts.
She explained if the Board raises the taxes, that money
is going to be taken out of food or medicine.
She hoped the Board can find something to reduce so they don't have
to raise the millage. She expressed she is very disappointed _EV1_that the Board is using
the _E\2_typical politician
scare tactics.
Steven Edminsten,
1047 Reading Court, addressed the Board and stated he is here as
a _E3_taxpayer and as
a _E1_lieutenant with the Fire
Department so he can speak
intelligently on both
aspects of this. He pointed out if people look at
their _E2_tax sheet, they are probably paying less taxes
this year than they
did last year. He explained Seminole County is an all-hazards Fire
Department.
He is a lieutenant on the Special Operations team.
Citizens do not realize what
all _F2_goes into a fire truck
pulling up to a house. He
discussed the need for Station
#29_GU1__GV2_ and Station #39. He opined those need to be
built, therefore the millage
in_Gd1_crease needs
to _Gg1_happen to
do that. Mr.
Edminsten described all of
the different duties of the Fire
Department and noted that is
what taxes pay for. He stated he supports the millage
increase because the Fire Department is basically living off of a savings
account. He described the safety concerns due to not being able
to upgrade or replace essential equipment. Mr. Edminsten expressed while he
doesn't like to pay
more in taxes, he
understands the importan_H1_ce of it.
David Williams, 110 Sisso Cove, addressed the Board and noted
he works with the Fire Department. He stated in the past couple
of years, there's been a number of tax-saving measures that have been
brought forth to Florida residents that have impacted
the budget. He discussed the proposed homestead exemption rate_I2_ and opined that is going to tax the County even worse.
He agreed with Mr. Edminsten that taxpayers are actually paying less next
year than they are this year.
Mr. Williams detailed how public safety is an essential service and
outlined the workload of the Fire Department.
He stated they have been working with a reduced budget since 2008 and
they have worked hard to do significantly more with a lot less than they
need. Mr. Williams implored the Board to
adopt the proposed Fire millage rate increase to ensure that the Fire
Department can continue to provide the services to the citizens that they have
grown to expect.
Commissioner Carey asked out of the 72,000 calls the Fire
Department has had this year, what is the mix of medical versus fire. Mr. Williams answered 70% of calls are EMS
related. He explained what it means to
be a single-tier system and how it is more cost-effective than the two-tier
system. Commissioner Carey stated it is
important that the County tries to educate the citizens on what services are
available.
Chairman Horan reiterated many peoples taxes will actually go
down next year. He stated the reason that they are _O2_looking at
im_O2_posing the increase _O1_to the Fire
Fund this year is
because the various
taxing authorities act knowing what
the_O1_ other taxing
authorities are doing. This
year_O1__O1_ the one mill that
was levied by
the School Board _P(1_three years
ago _P+1_is coming
off _P.1_of the
tax rolls. He added they are trying to impose
what they need not when_Pu1__Pv1__Pw1_ they need it
but _P|1_when
it actually has the least
effect on the taxpayers.
Blaine Darrah,
1624 Cheery Ridge Drive, addressed the Board and stated _P1_now that
he has listened to the
discussion tonight, it's clear
the_P1_ predominant tax increase is on Fire.
He opined the County has done an amazing job at budgeting and
operating over the last several years. He
looked at his taxes
from 2010 when the flat rate was set and
looked at his
taxes now, and his tax bill
this year is down
$1.29. He
thanked the Board for doing a
continuing outstanding job.
Dan Goodman, 2616 Reagan
Trail, addressed the Board and noted
he is not in an area that is going to
get _RI2_taxed. He stated he comes from California which is overtaxed
and overpopulated. It has turned into
one _R1_of the worst
states to live
in and that's why he moved to Florida as he saw an opportunity to
come to a state that is progressive in doing all
the right things. He opined
nobody wants to get rid of their services; and he doesn't think anyone believes
that_R1_ if they
don't raise the taxes, they
are going to lose those services. He
suggested the Board find
other ways of raising money and not put it on the backs of just the taxpayers. Mr. Goodman stated he is not a marijuana fan, but
the places that have adopted that are doing pretty good now. The
taxes are coming in and it's something
that's going to
happen at some point. He
discussed driver safety and how that affects the Fire Department. He
suggested figuring out a way
to _S1_teach drivers
how to drive better so
there are less calls to the Fire
Department. Commissioner Dallari commented Mr. Goodman made
some excellent points
and _T1_he
can assure him that
the Board is trying to
address driver safety issues.
Joel Greenberg, _%_Seminole County
Tax _%_Collector, addressed the _%_Board and asked the Board
to not blame his office
for _U1_the
increase. He mentioned an email that was sent out that stated the
Tax _%_Collector's Office and the Clerk
of Court and Comptroller's Office were responsible for the
increase. Mr.
Greenberg opined that is not fair, it is
disingenuous and dishonest. He
stated if they are going to
be honest about what needs to be done, they need to stop with the politics and address the issue as to
why _VK1_it needs
to be done and not
blame other offices for
something that they really have nothing to do with.
Commissioner Carey
stated the County has been talking about how they can
cut funding or do things differently. She asked _%_Fire Chief
Mark _%_Oakes to present his thoughts on the issue. Chief Oakes addressed the Board and stated it should be
noted that
their service delivery demands
have been increasing. This
year alone their demands increased by 13%.
They service county residents and also workers and visitors to the county. In
regard to service calls, he explained they fluctuate 60% and 70% between _Wv1__#_Fire and
E_Wy1__Wz1_MS calls.
Chief Oakes commended the Fire Department for the work they do.
He stated there is no other
Fire Department that has done
more efficient _X1_service
de_X1_livery
than the County's
Fire _X2__#_Department. They have
utilized their first response system and
their merges to be fiscally responsible and
pro_X1_vide the
high level of service
that the County receives now.
In
regard to Station #29, Chief Oakes explained that station would normally
require the _%_County to staff
16 people. The Fire Department
is only asking for 11 additional firefighters because Chief Oakes
is reallocating a rescue truck
from the Winter Springs
area as part of a
merge to balance the service _Yj1_delivery. That is an
effective and efficient
use _Yy1_of the taxpayers' money_Y~1_. He stated they have gone through
th_Y2_e Fire
budget over the last few years
and _Y2_they are as "lean
and _Y3_mean"
as they possibly can be.
Chief Oakes indicated any reduction to
the level of service will
result in a higher ISO rate_Y1_. That means taxpayers will either pay higher
taxes as proposed
now_Y1_; or if
they have to reduce the level
of _Y2_service,
the taxpayers will pay insurance _Y1_companies. If
they have to reduce the level of service, they must notify ISO of the reduction of
service. The Fire
Department is currently an ISO 2, striving to become an ISO 1,
which will help reduce insurance rates. If they reduce any level of service
moving forward, the department would fall back to a 3 or 4, which will result
in a higher insurance cost to everybody; residential and commercial properties.
Commissioner Dallari
asked if there were any deficiencies
in services or equipment during Hurricane
Irma. Chief
Oakes explained as part of the $54 million
reduction that the
department had over the _Zd1_years,
they have put off or
de_Zk2_layed projects
such as the radio
project.
Their minimal staffing is 129 positions per shift and they have 3 shifts.
They share all of
th_Z1_e equipment, so it's not individually given to every
firefighter. When a new firefighter comes on in the morning, they
transfer over their radio and their air packs and other equipment.
That portable radio is now upwards of $7,000
and _Z1__Z1_they have delayed this
purchase for almost five years. The radios have been broken or
damaged on calls and
they are no longer getting repaired. So when the department had to put additional
units in service, they did not have
enough equipment. There is some critical
infrastructure, new generators for the fire station and other equipment that
they use, that hasn't been replaced or has been delayed because of the loss of
revenue.
Commissioner Carey
thanked ChiefOakes
for sharing some factual
information about the operation and commended
the department for
doing more with less
over the years.
With regard to public participation, no one else in the audience
spoke in support or in opposition and public input was closed.
Speaker Request Forms and Written Request Forms were received
and filed.
Commissioner Henley stated Seminole County citizens _[1_and taxpayers
get a bargain
for the amount of money they pay. They pay
some of the lowest
mill_[1_age in
the state, yet they live in a county that has
one _[1_of the lowest crime rates
in the state because of
the quality of their _[1_law enforcement_[2_ _[1_. They _[1_have a
top_[1_-notch Fire
Department in spite of the needs that
the County is trying to _\#1_take care of with this small
increase. He pointed out the parks,
recreational areas and trails that are paid for by their
taxes.
One of the _\=1_top school
systems in the
country is paid for with
their taxes, and the road
system is _\h1_one of
the best road systems in
the Central Florida _\r1_area. They have a
countywide library
system paid for with their taxes. He
opined quite
often people zero in on one
thin_\1_g and forget about all
the other things that taxes
pay _\1_for. He thinks that when he talks about all of the_\2_ things that are available to taxpayers
and the quality _\1_of life
that exists in the county, t_\2_axpayers are getting a good bargain for the
amount of taxes that they
pay.
Commissioner Henley stated he _\3_appreciates that
the citizens came out tonight and he encourages them to continue
to come out and voice their opinion not
only at these Budget meetings once a year but at _\1_any Board meeting. _\1_ He
announced he will be supporting this
budget in spite of the tax
increase.
-------
Motion by
Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Henley, to adopt the FY 2017/18 countywide
tentative millage rate of 4.8751 mills.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.
-------
Motion by Commissioner Henley, seconded
by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the FY 2017/18 Fire MSTU tentative millage
rate of 2.7649 mills.
Under
discussion, Commissioner Constantine_]*1_ stated
he has been struggling throughout this process in
trying to find the best number that
would work for the long
term and he has had some
spirited discussions with the
County Manager about that.
He reiterated what Chief Oakes explained in regard to the ISO rating. He
discussed the penny sales
tax that was voted on by the people.
Commissioner Constantine explained one of
the reasons that the tax bills
are going down is because
the_^1_ millage
rate that the
School Board _^3_previously had passed is being eliminated.
Commissioner
Constantine stated if the $25,000 homestead exemption doesnt pass next year,
he has been assured by the County Manager that she is going to propose a
decrease for next year. He explained the
homestead exemption will take money out of the Countys budget and tell
taxpayers that theyre getting a tax decrease.
It will put the burden on the local governments to find answers. He expressed that he suggested 2.65 instead
of 2.7649; however, he is going to
support the staff recommendation. Commissioner Constantine stated they are
doing everything they can to ensure that they have the very best budget. He is supporting this tonight with the
assurance that if the homestead exemption increase does not go through, they
will be able to decrease this proportionately.
In regard
to the Republican platform, Commissioner Carey stated she voted against the
budget when she was Chairman, she fought against new stormwater fees that were
recommended by former County Managers, and the whole Board has done so much to
try to make sure that the County is fiscally responsible to the community. She explained when the County had to cut 280
jobs, the prior Board had the foresight to build up those reserves; and the
current Board has lived off of the reserves that were planned for by doing
financial forecasting and making sure that the budgets remained structurally
balanced.
Commissioner
Carey explained there are 13 versions of
questions to Resource Management that said what if
they did this much, how much would that generate and how much would it impact taxpayers. She explained people dont realize when the
homestead exemption appears on the ballot, people are going to support that;
and even if it isnt supported in the county, if it passes statewide, the
taxpayers will get it here. That would
be a $9 million annual impact to the General Fund budget. If it passes, the Board will be
prepared. If it fails, the Board has
committed that they would roll back the rate to the rate that it needs to be,
the lesser amount based on the 13 assumptions.
She pointed out the 2.65 that Commissioner Constantine suggested would
only be a $2 difference. They have
received a lot of information, they have put the staff through the paces, asked
questions, pushed and pulled. They have
done everything that they can. She
indicated this is one time that she feels like she has to support the
recommendation of staff. She discussed
how providing public safety is a primary function of local government. Commissioner Carey commended staff for the
great job that theyve done putting the budget together and explained the
budgeting process.
_%_Commissioner Dallari stated
public safety is _g=1_the
Board's primary concern. Over the last 10 years, they have been looking at the Fire Department and right-sizing it and even did a
management audit. They looked at this more ways than
anyone could possibly
imagine. He stated they have worked hard
at _g1_this. If
there was any other way
around it, they would
have done it. He thinks planning for it over
the last ten years is
the right thing to
do to make sure that
they are the right size.
They can say that t_h>1_hey have been through _hC1_the
budget several _hH2_different ways and it
is about as lean and mean as it can get.
He thanked staff for putting the county first during Hurricane Irma.
Commissioner
Carey submitted her ex parte communications (received and filed).
Districts
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.
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Motion by Commissioner Carey, seconded by
Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the FY 2017/18 Unincorporated Road District MSTU
tentative millage rate of 0.1107 mills.
District 1,
2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.
-------
At the request of Chairman Horan, Mr. Bass 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% increase over the rolled-back
millage rate of 4.5991 mills. The tentative
County Municipal Fire Services District property tax of 2.7649 mills represents
a 25.77% increase over the rolled-back millage rate of 2.1984 mills. The tentative Unincorporated Road District ad
valorem tax rate of 0.1107 mills represents a of 5.73% increase over the
rolled-back rate of 0.1047 mills. The
proposed aggregate millage rate for all BCC taxing districts is 6.9261 mills,
which represents a 10.69% increase over the current year aggregate
rolled-back millage rate of 6.2574 mills.
-------
Motion by
Commissioner Constantine, seconded by Commissioner Carey, 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.
-------
Motion by Commissioner Constantine,
seconded by Commissioner Carey, to adopt the proposed budget for all funds for FY
2017/18 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.
-------
Motion
by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to approve the
second public hearing to take final action on the millage rates and budget for FY
2017/18 to be advertised for September 26, 2017, 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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Chairman Horan thanked
everyone for being a part of the discussion.
He stated one of the blessings of liberty is the right to petition
elected officials. They take very
seriously the discussion of the public as it is presented. Chairman
Horan reminded that the final public hearing to adopt the FY 2017/18 millage
rates and budget is scheduled for September 26, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
-------
There being no further
business to come before the Board, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned
at 9:37 p.m., this same date.
ATTEST:_______________________Clerk_____________________Chairman
ks