In Your Corner

We were initially optimistic about the County’s 2010 budget when the announcement was made that the County would not pursue the 30-year exclusivity deal with FP&L that would add 5.9% to our electric bills. We are now becoming very disappointed that the resulting $9+ million budget shortfall may be made up with increased taxes rather than reductions in spending.

One of the more disappointing proposals was for a large increase in property taxes. If the Property Appraiser’s official figures are near the estimates currently being used, coverage of the shortfall will require a 9% increase, or about $135 per year for the average homesteaded resident. An interesting turn of events is that the non-homesteaded part-time resident’s taxes may go down by about the same amount. If the worm turns and those that vote here bear the brunt of tax increases it may be interesting to see to how this affects local political decisions.

Also, last week’s formal vote at the Commission’s budget workshop to retain the full compliment of Community Development personnel along with its $3.5 million budget, and hiring of a new director certainly sends the wrong message. We voiced our concerns several years ago about the wisdom of creating this separate new division, but revenues were rapidly increasing at the time. Now the reverse is happening and changes need to be made. We believe in maintaining/upgrading our Communities, but projects underway or scheduled are already funded and are not affected by the 2010 budget. Since the prospect for more redevelopment money/projects over the next few years appears slim, why not scale back those functions in accordance with expected revenues? There was no reason why this had to be a binary – all or nothing – decision except that numerous activists from all 7 Community Redevelopment Areas descended on the Commission’s working meeting and delivered a strong “don’t cut ours” message. These workshops were established to allow the frank discussion and debate among Commissioners prohibited in private by our Sunshine Laws and suppressed at their formal meetings. These workshops must be open to residents, minutes published and the press invited. However, such a meeting is NOT the place for unlimited public comment or formal votes by the Commission. Those actions should be accomplished at the regular televised Commission meetings.

We applaud Community activism, consider ourselves a part of it, and applaud actions taken in good conscience. However, some in our community need to consider the consequences of their excessive and often redundant legal actions that impose enormous litigation costs on the County. The continuing legal actions against the County’s agreements with the FAA on Witham Field, against construction of the Indian Street Bridge and a recently dismissed lawsuit where the judge cited many overstatements and misrepresentations made in opposition to updates to the County’s Comprehensive Plan come to mind. These cost hundreds of thousand of dollars to defend positions already adjudicated – some many times over. At some point even the most sincere and strident activists have to realize that they have had their say and move on for the greater good.

As we have pointed out numerous times the County needs to reduce spending and be more efficient. Tax increases should only be considered after all reasonable methods for reducing the cost of services have been exhausted. After essential services are supported, a sustainable level of desirable services should be accommodated. Salaries and benefits take nearly 90% of the County’s operating budgets and far exceed those of many of our taxpayers. This critical area must be aggressively addressed in the 2010 budget before imposing additional taxes and fees on our residents.