General Fund and Transportation Trust millage rates

26:17In accordance with Florida Statute 200.065, the first issue to be discussed is the recommended millage rates and the percentage changes from the rollback rates.

26:28Chairman, members of the board, the aggregate millage rate being proposed is 9.8433 MLs, which is lower than the aggregate millage rate sent out on trim notices and represents a 1.11%. Increase from the aggregate rolledback rate of 9.7350 MLs. The reason the aggregate millage rate is higher than the rolledback rate is because the total taxable evaluate total taxable value increased between last year and this year. Table one in your handout shows the millage rates for the various county levies

26:58and a comparison of the recommended millage rates to the rolledback rates and the prior year adopted millage rates. Rather than read this chart into the record, we have provided copies to each commissioner, board records, and members of the audience. At the first public hearing on the budget, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a budget based upon the millage rates used in the trim notices each property owner received. During the morning board meeting earlier today, the commissioners directed staff to return to the final public hearing with a reduction to the general operating millage of 0.0250

27:30MLs. I'd like to give a summary of the resulting General Fund and Transportation Trust fund budgets, stating the millage rates, the percentage change from the rolledback rate, and the reasons for such a change. The millage rate for the general fund is 7.4042 MILLs, which is a 3.57% increase from the rolled back rate of 7.1489. This millage rate is a 0.250 mil reduction from last year's millage rate. The county realized an 11.2 percent increase in taxable assessed values over

28:00the past year. The increase in property tax values based on the recommended millage rate of 7.4042 mills and the taxable assessed value increase results in an additional $42.1 million in property tax revenue. The additional revenue will in part be used to increase the funding for parks capital maintenance, renovate the Hudson Library, provide operational resources for the expanded detention center, and provide wage increases for all employees. Prior action by the Florida legislator eliminated the requirement

28:30for a mandatory transportation ad valorem tax. No transportation millage was levied last year, and we propose no millage be assessed this year for the Transportation Trust Fund. I would ask the Board to accept public comment and then vote on the General Fund and the Transportation Trust fund millage rates. The minimum vote required to levy the general fund millage rate is a simple majority or three votes according to maximum millage rate calculations.

28:59Are you on to me?

29:00Yes, beautiful.

29:03Okay. Does anyone wish to speak to the board regarding the general fund and transportation fund?

29:10Madam Chair, I do have uh three uh people who signed up to talk. Okay. So we'll take it in order. Um we have Judy Osteen. Followed by Janine Duffy, followed by Kathy Julian.

29:28Hello, my name is Judy Osteen. I live at [address removed]. I've been married to Richard Osteen for 57 years, and he will be 76 years old come October the 12th, who has lived at this property. All his life. He was born there seventy-six years ago. A neighbor of mine Do this to my attention. They want to open Osteen Road from Massachusetts Avenue to Orchard Lake Road, bringing

29:58it through our property and into a subdivision that is closed in. It would be like taking and putting mass transit

30:08uh traffic through a locked gated community. I don't know why you want to do this. You tried it in twenty oh Twenty oh three. And it didn't happen 'cause it went to a ninety degree curve from Osteen on to Orchard Lake Road.

30:26Why are you doing this now? It's she sent me this. It says Osteen Row Connection Feasible Study.

30:33This is

30:34That she found on the internet.

30:36This is the budget hearing. It has nothing to do with A transportation study.

30:43Well, I would like to let you know that I'm against this as a landowner.

30:49I can have public works. I ma'am if you'd like

30:51brands. Yes, we c someone

30:53can

30:53meet you

30:53in the back. Thank you.

30:55Are you telling me you don't want to hear from me?

30:57If you're if you're If you're commenting on the budget and the t and the I put on the note there that it was for the opening of Osteen Road. That's not what this public hearing is about. Is the County Commissioner meeting correct?

31:11It's a budget.

31:12It's a special meeting. We had our meeting today earlier. Um pu public comment uh happens in the morning. Um this is our budget meeting. So

31:22Okay, then I will be back. I totally oppose this.

31:25Hey ma'am, I'm your commissioner and I'm having my assistant meet you out back, okay? So she can talk to you? My eight, okay? okay. There she is. If you turn

31:34it

31:35out,

31:35no, I prefer to talk to you. You can call me anytime.

31:37Absolutely. Are you related to Kathryn? Kathryn?

31:44Ready?

31:45All right, would Janine Duffy?

31:54Hi, my name is Janine Duffy, [address removed]. Last year, my property's just value was listed at $257,127. This year that number actually decreased slightly to $235,260. However, during the same time, my assessed value went up from $213,730 last year to $219,920

32:25this year. There have been no improvements made to the property, no repaved road, no extra features. In fact, it has gotten to be impossible to travel safely with the amount of traffic that is on the roads without proper infrastructure. Your math is very frustrating to figure out. The only thing I can figure is that you up the taxes by 3%, regardless if the value goes down. With inflation insurance costs and the rising cost of living, with the equal rise in without equal rise in

32:55wages, HOA fees, CDD fees, and higher taxes, families are already under tremendous pressure. And with the substantial growth Pasco County is experiencing, the tax base is already expanding. So, revenue should not have to come from the raising raising the burden on individual homeowners. In fact, this growth should allow for tax relief, not increases. All I'm asking for is fairness. I respectfully request that the board consider not just mine, but all properties assessed value

33:26and ensure it reflects both the reduction in just value. And the reality that's that this is not the right time. to increase taxes on Pasco County residents struggling to keep their homes. With a $2.2 billion, a mere 0.01% equals about $220,000 divided by the number of taxable properties is merely pennies. Also, I would like to mention that our Mosquito Control District is a separate taxing district

33:56and they are out of control. I would really like to see the county assume them and reallocate those funds. They have $10 million that they consider a slush fund. That is our money. I'd rather see that money go towards the county and allocate it properly. Please consider. Thank you.

34:15Um county administrator, we had this same um math question come to the last meeting so in case there's anyone else else here here, can we explain?

34:26Certainly.

34:34The assessed value is ultimately what what the number will be calculated against, right? So in this particular case, um her just value went from 257,000 to approximately 235,000. Her assessed value was 213,000 the previous year. So the difference between 213 and 257 probably represents a homestead exemption or something like that. if the assessed value is lower than the just value, the maximum that that assessed value can go up is three percent or the cost of inflation due to Save

35:04Our Homes. And so what she is seeing is even though her property may be valued less as the just value, she is still paying uh the the value of taxes is is lower and below that number. So until they reach parity uh you'll see that increase regardless of what what your number does.

35:20Okay. Chair.

35:21Yes.

35:24I don't know. The pr the property pay we're the property pay is based on eighty five percent. Right. Right. Eighty five percent of the appraised value of the home, not the full hundred percent. So that leaves Mm-hmm. Yeah the job.

35:45capped the amount that can increase so That's why when you sell a house It gets adjusted to the True value. Um but you're paying l you're paying less. And you can see that number on your tax bill, right? It says at this home, I think it says at this home. Somewhere you can see that true number.

36:08On the trim.

36:08Okay. Okay,

36:10who's next? Kathy Julian.

36:20Hi, hope you're all doing well tonight. Um, I'm not actually speaking for myself. Somebody asked me to come and speak on their behalf tonight. Um, I'm really kind of tied up with doing stuff with mosquito and I haven't been really paying attention. But what Janine said is really very true. They say they're protecting public health. I would much rather see that $10 million sledge fund that they have go into protecting our roads. It should go to the Sheriff's Department. They're not protecting. Um anyway, uh I had heard that there was going to be a point zero one decrease in the millage rate. And

36:50that would equal sixty eight cents. per property. I see you increase that quite a bit more and it's now one point four million, which equates to four four dollars and seventy cents per property. So that's a big increase. Um I don't understand how all these property things are calculated. I've got to go back and look at it more. But um It does seem kind of crazy that I live in a house that's got a sinkhole under it that's never been repaired and our property value went up ten percent this year around the tax rolls and maybe it's I'm

37:20reading it wrong, I don't know. I need to call the appraiser's office and find out. Um But I do think we need to be saving tax dollars and it also kind of hit me weird when it was said earlier in the meeting that the Sheriff's Department put two million dollars back so money could go to something else. And I agree our parks are very important. I think I I heard Seth speak about it at a meeting and he was saying how we need to have more parks 'cause you know, these kids need to have the parks. Totally agree with that. They were very important to me when my kids were little. But um it bothers me that we're taking it

37:50out of the Sheriff's Department because we're constantly hearing that the Sheriff's Department is underfunded. So I know it's a balancing act. I don't know where where that whole balance comes down. But um We need to have more there's very little traffic enforcement and that needs to be something I'm sure the sheriff has told you that. But we need to be putting money into public safety. That's really The big thing. in my behalf. But anyway, thank you for cutting the taxes a little bit, even though I don't think it's enough because our house taxes are crazy. They're over seven thousand

38:21dollars a year. I don't live in a mansion. and um we shouldn't be paying so much for taxes and I there've gotta be ways to cut. And I'm you know, your employees here are getting probably a bigger raise than most of the people in the private sector and from looking at things in at the mosquito and I would assume it's the same here, those employees are very well taken care of financially. I mean they make a lot of money and they have a lot of they have great pensions and you know people in the private sector don't have that and it's all well and good. It used to be if you work for

38:51the government you like make less money. But now I hear that commissioners who make four hundred dollars a month get a pension? Really? Really? They work one meeting a month and they get a pension from that? That doesn't happen in the public sector. I mean the private sector. So, you know, the government needs to be toning everything down. Look at their budget. It says right on there. They f put fifty five percent of their salary. into retirement.

39:16The mosquito?

39:17Yes. And the the director of the mosquito, who I've been extraordinarily critical of, um forty percent of her salary is put into her retirement fund.

39:27Well we we don't control them. I'm well aware of that. I don't do in the near future. Thank you. Um So that's all I have signed up in part.

39:39Steele raised his hand.

39:40Uh yes. And I and Representative Steele, you want to speak? Is there anyone else here who would like to address the County Commission? Please feel free to come up after or

39:50Uh thank you for recognizing me. I was in a meeting so I didn't get to sign up and I apologize for for that tardiness of myself. I drove back from Miami just for this meeting, believe it or not. I actually my family's still in Miami, so I'm gonna drive back after this. But Um Mm. I I I meant I meant to be here for the last one and I was out of town so I made it a point that I I would be here. Um

40:11As a as a company, you you have to stay within your means and and confines of of revenue versus expenses. And if you don't have the revenue, you don't you don't raise taxes, you have to start making cuts, uh cuts where they belong. Any any organization has had to do that. I don't think there's s a single government agency, whether it's a state, municipality, or or um um county has has ever done that. They don't cut back. They just they adjust millage

40:41rates, they add MSTUs as special taxes, or they increase the value of your home. And so I ran a I ran a bill last session. I don't I'm sure you guys all heard about it. It actually ran three bills bills. Uh one of them was to bring the value of your home back to what you paid for your home. Because it's the only asset that you buy in the United States that continues to grow in value. and and you get taxed on that value. If you think of anything else, a boat, a car a

41:12building, uh your chairs that you buy in your office, it's all depreciated values. The this is the only asset that you buy as an American citizen that continues to inflate. And it's kinda like and I I know I brought this up to you and this is not this is not you, this is more the tax assessor, I mean the uh internal revenue uh uh department, but We we shouldn't be taxing people on a value on something that they have not realized. There's no other capital gains that we pay taxes on. that's above the value you have when

41:42you sell it. Not while you have it and carry that asset. That's what Kamala Harris wanted to do is tax on unrealized capital gains. And it's the same su same concept. You're taxing on unrealized capital gains. So you shouldn't inflate the value of the home. It should stay what you paid for the house. And that's that's another bill that's gonna be actually it's I think the whole house is now on board with that in the Senate. So you guys need to be prepared for that. uh we are adjusting the taxes and that's one of the biggest pushes that we're doing at the state level. Um so I just wanted

42:12to come in and and express my concern that we started to raise them again. I and I see that you guys worked hard. Um the funny math though, and I I had to ask 'cause I I and I I understand math pretty well. Um Uh but I I had to ask to confirm what I saw. Um because it looks like we're going down three percent, but we're only going down one point six four percent. And that's because of all of the other areas that we're moving the money around in. Instead of it being just removed altogether, it's being put

42:42into different MSTUs and different categories. So it's not a total of three percent coming down, it's one point six four percent. I don't know if you guys understood that or not, but I'm not sure. Thank you guys for your time.

42:55Well it's a portion. A portion comes down, yeah. Not the whole thing. Okay. Is there some anyone else

43:01who wants to speak to us?

43:05Madam Chair, I don't know if um the person that registered to attend online is online.

43:14Okay. Um the name is uh Vincent Gariano.

43:19All right, we'll elevate him.

43:26Okay, Mr. Gariano, you should um be able to um unmute and and speak.

43:35I'm fine at this time, thank you.

43:39All right, thank you. Okay, um I think I just want to address one thing to Ms. Julian on the Sheriff's Budget. The sheriff did get Um I don't know where she went over there. The sheriff did get um A big increase? but he tightened his belt like the rest of us, so Um before we ever came to this meeting, if you want to explain how you go through your budget process.

44:02Yeah, with the with the sheriff, the the agreed upon methodology currently uh with with the board and the sheriff is is forty percent of new revenue uh is going to help him catch up so he can he can again tr to provide services. Uh as a result, he would have been entitled as a bad word, but I'll just use it uh to to approximately nineteen million. He took seventeen in his in his budget where this board was able to reallocate those those dollars to to reinvest in parks. So Oh yeah.

44:31And an an another um interesting thing about this board, Commissioner Mariano was on the board back then. This is to Representative Steele, and we we can get you the numbers. This county uh in the early two thousands. Did roll back. greatly the military. I think when I moved here was in the nines. um maybe eights or nines, but it was only homes and there were no businesses here. So the You were near your

44:57cap, yes.

44:57Yes, yeah. We were very near our cap. Um but since uh and then the the county started rolling back the military, rolling back, rolling back. And then Save Our Homes came. And

45:12No, it was then the legislature imposed rollback rates. Oh that's

45:17that

45:17during the

45:17And they got stuck. Yeah. Um we had to close parks, libraries. We literally had um Uh um machines in front of the parks that you had to pay to go in. It was it was a difficult time. And we we still have not recovered from that. But as one of the fastest growings in America and providing what we think is a pretty good

45:45uh lifestyle here, uh but still rolling our millage back every year. This is our third year in a row. We try and strike a balance between providing the services that we need and the uh keep our county affordable. So uh I'll just say that. Okay, does anyone else want to talk about anything here?

46:10Okay, is there a motion to adopt the millage rate of for the general fund? Of 7.4042 mils. No. No. Well that's that's why I'm offering

46:21that's what I'm saying.

46:22I'll make a motion.

46:23Okay. No discussion.

46:25Okay.

46:25Um there was a motion. Is there a second? Commissioner Oakley? No.

46:30Yeah, I'll say it.

46:31Okay. Under discussion. Okay. Um quick question and I thought of it late and my apologies, but other than um fire safety, the sheriff's office corrections, things like that, how many open jobs do we have right now? That aren't currently filled.

46:48I do not have that information in front of me.

46:51Our our rolling average is approximately ten percent vacancy rates overall. That could be across various departments. Many are in corrections right now.

47:00Okay, so many R corrections? Okay. Because my question was if they were not in corrections, public safety, anything related that if we didn't need those positions, could we get do away with them?

47:12I would not recommend that.

47:13Okay. Uh my other question is or comment.

47:20Instead of five percent going to seven percent for travel?

47:26Anybody thoughts on that?

47:31Right now we're at travel five percent Mm bumping it up to seven and then also implementing if there's an online option everybody has to do online. Instead of traveling.

47:45So if you have a if you need a certification or something or you want to go to something, if there's an online option, you take it.

47:52I understand that. So you are you r recommending increasing the tri travel budget by two percent?

47:58Right. Well From five to seven.

48:02From five. You're talking about deducting from from five. She's

48:05saying

48:05reducing

48:06some five.

48:07Right. Make the

48:07cut bigger. Correct. Make five to seven.

48:09Oh, I'm sorry. That has nothing to do with the millage. That's

48:13No, but I'm just seeing if, you know, we're trying to to get everybody on board to that extra. Five hundred thousand to get to point three.

48:22Yeah, we're already working on Plans to get that, obviously. You know, we made the additional, you know, five hundredths or five thousandths of a of of a cut. We're you know, we've we've got You know, an approach that we're gonna go. And as I committed to this board as well, as we find and realize those savings, again, I'll use the IT group as as a prime example, we're gonna plow those money back those monies back into our reserves. And if we find deeper savings, we'll we'll do the same thing. Um, you know, the the 7% uh commissioner, that that would represent

48:52probably another $13,000 of of savings to the general fund department. Um

48:57it'd be twenty seven thousand total?

48:59Um no, I think closer to forty-eight, I think, total on the on the general fund, which which is not insignificant. Um

49:08before the break we were at zero point two two five. Two point

49:17Boy, it's been a long day.

49:17Yes, it has.

49:18Anyway, so I'm trying to get to point

49:22I'm not sure if you're Well I'll defer to the board.

49:25Yes.

49:27We're already voted. We a we are under discussion.

49:35So remember earlier we were talking about the DR Disaster Relief Fund reimbursements. As of right now, conservatively that this county can be reimbursed for the work that's done today, all the way up until this protest. Mr. Brighton Bucks conservatively figure three hundred and eighteen thousand dollars. in reimbursement already today for the for the staff time. So when we look at trying to cut to get to the the point three mils Addition you know, it's five hundred gram. We're we're there by three hundred and eighteen K just by reimbursement. uh

50:06from the D R funds. Leaving us a small balance. So we can get to the point three miles.

50:14Point zero three mil cut.

50:18You know I think relatively easily r easily if there's a uh you know, collective decision making process here, which we have to have, but we're there with the three hundred and eighteen K, which is probably higher and going to keep growing. um through the DR process. So Um I'm fully confident of of Of moving Um The the the cutting the millage rate to point oh three. I think we can get there and I'm confident in the budget team. And department heads.

50:49Um And managing their funds appropriately and remaining whole.

50:54I j I just want to say I I feel like we owe it to our citizens. We're we're almost there. We can do it and we won't feel it. So I I hope you guys will support. Yeah. So we

51:07when we started we were at point what what was the very first one where my

51:13well we we were originally flat. Yes, we were flat. And through through trim uh we then committed uh to a point point oh one to look at that. We we went into that and we came back with point oh two. Yes. And then this this body had deliberation this morning on it, um went back and forth on on an additional point oh one and landed collectively at point oh two five. Um

51:36so I feel like we've we've tightened, tightened, tightened. And um but I d But to Commissioner Weightman's thoughts, I'm hopeful that next year um with the D R uh C D B G DR money we can continue to um find more savings, but I until we have it, we can't say that we have it. And we're still awaiting the FEMA money. So um I I'll let you know that I got a call, my office got a call from a constituent who Sorry,

52:06Keith. was out on the Sun Coast Trail today, sat on a bench and sat on nails that that tore his clothes and injured him. So We have a lot of work to do here. Um

52:20Can I just

52:20and so I'm I'm think we gone further than we ever thought we were going to at point oh two five. And that's where I am. So we can have them speak a little more and then we'll call

52:32the question. If if we're we're that close, we could take two hundred thousand out of the reserves, which is nothing, and we're there. It's

52:41twenty five it's twenty five cents a house. Ten cents a house. And we can fix benches so people don't get their their bodies ripped up. So Commissioner

52:50Madam Clerk as we talked about the um By g getting rid of the paving assessment program. I have got a list of people that are wanting to get in the list. I know everyone else has got people that want to get their roads done. They don't want to ride around with potholes. They you can go to West Wiregrass, you can go to Trinity, go wherever you want. There's zone of parks out there as well. So I think we made a great move by making the first cut, the second cut, and the third cut is a good compromise. I'm comfortable with the motion. Yeah.

53:19Well if you call uh

53:20I am

53:21too. Okay, so all in favor? Aye. Signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Day? Nee. Okay, is there a motion to adopt the no is there a motion to adopt the millage rate for the transportation trust fund of 0.00 MLs? So move. Second. All in favor any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Aye.