FY2024 tentative budget and millage rates
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The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Sep 5, 2023
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The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Sep 5, 2023
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What was said
Machine transcription of 1h 55m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 84% of 557 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Reconvene and start our budget meeting and we're gonna have a couple of presentations for Mr. Carvello.
Thank you. Mr. Chairman will ask uh Mr. Gorg to come up and present um a couple of brief presentations on the budget and then we'll we'll move from there with the public hearing.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Bob Gorry, Pasco County Budget Director. So this evening we'd like to talk about why are we here, and this isn't from the esoteric perspective, but why are we here this evening? And as you know, the state requires two public hearing to get input on the budget from citizens. Uh tonight, what we'll ask the board to do is to approve the tentative millage rates, and then the final millage rates will be set on the September 19th meeting. The tentative millage rates That will be set tonight, only need a majority
uh vote. So three votes either way would uh rule the day.
So Millage Highlights. So we're asking for no change in the operating millage of 7.6076. And as you're aware, under the Save R Homes provisions of the Florida Constitution, the taxable value of homestead properties cannot increase by more than three percent or inflation, whichever is less. The state set the inflation rate for this year at 6.5%. So folks who got their trim notice will notice that they're Uh taxable assessed values should not have increased by more than three percent if they were homesteaded. So for
example, we're talking about if you have a homesteaded property, uh the average homesteaded property taxable value, Pasco County is $147,000. We rounded it up to $150 to make the math easy. So at a 3% increase, taxable assessed value increase of 3%. That would mean the value of the home, taxable value of the home would increase $3,000, and that would result in an additional $22.82 in property tax. This property tax is a result of
increased value of the home and not because the board has adjusted or increased the property tax millage rate. Non-homesteaded property tax or non-homesteaded properties. are uh Limited to an increase of 10%. So homesteaded can increase no more than 3%, non-homesteaded no more than 10%, and that goes for commercial properties as well. And so that same property of $150,000, taxable value would increase $15,000, and
that would be $114 increase in property taxes for non-homesteaded property.
So last year we were here talking about the record height of new construction in Pasco County, and this year we've increased that amount by about half a million dollars, or half a yeah, $500 million. This year we're almost at $2.5 billion in new construction values in Pasco County. And so, as we talked about before, inflation is taking its toll on. our ability to to meet our customer demands. We're having growth in demands uh for services and so what we would
like to recommend this evening is to Create this balance or achieve this balance between new expenses that would be recurring and ongoing and these one-time expenditures that we can invest in infrastructure for our county. That way if inflation keeps keeps increasing, we can pull back on those uh recurring expenditures and keep the uh keep the um
I'm with you. So we can keep the investment in the infrastructure. Okay, so where do your property taxes go? So if you look at your trim notice that was sent out, you'll notice that this is a typical home. This is a home that's not in one of our cities, and so there's no municipal taxes associated here. So you notice the big ones, of course, are the county 43% and school board at 39%. Fire 13% of the taxes. that you pay on your property tax bill, 13% goes to the fire department, 2% to the general obligation bonds,
and then 2% to the Mosquito Control District, 1% to the SWIFT MUD. So the tentative budget overall has increased 5.4%. You can see the big increase here was our capital expenditures, our capital investment, and this is primarily because of our investments in the utilities, our solid waste and our water wastewater utility.
So when we uh announced that there was an increase of 16.5% of taxable assessed values, folks were asking, wow, what are you gonna do with all that money? And so this is what we're proposing that happens to all this money. So I'm not gonna read all of these. You've seen all these before, I'll just hit some highlights here. Health insurance, of course, inflation's hitting health insurance for our employees just as it's hitting everything else. Retirement rates, the the stuff. State increased, made major changes to employee retirement. So you'll notice the retirement rate increase in the
general fund alone of about three million dollars. You notice the detention center. Now that we've taken over the detention center, there are a number number of contracts that have come due, and we're going to renew those contracts. We don't know what those contracts will come in at, but we've just budgeted 15%. Of course, we're going to pay whatever the the rate is but we don't really know at this point what they are. You'll notice on the other column on the right hand column the board has expressed an interest in battling homelessness and so
we've set aside a million dollars for the Pasco Hope and down towards the bottom you see that AS rescue that's animal services rescue officer and so when we look at all those things that adds up to 29 million dollars.
Outside funding, most of these things are required by the state. Some of these other things are things that the board has chosen to invest in. You'll notice the changes from July 11th Medicaid. We did get the final number from the state and that increased 300,000. Pasco kids asked for an increase in the amount that we contribute to them, so we added the nineteen thousand five hundred. And then United Way. So we added two. twenty thousand dollars for the emergency sheltering on behalf of the county and then United Way asked for sixty-five
thousand dollar increase in their annual funding just to keep up with inflation.
So we also have a number of investments in our capital projects. The first one there, buildings, so we're investing in our facilities to the tune of about $4.7 million. IT hardware and software, so in order to stay ahead of the bad guys, we need to invest about $1.4 million there. Athletic field renovation, so three hundred thousand dollars per year, allows the county to renovate about six ball fields per year. We have park maintenance of a million dollars per year and we started that program two years ago so we wouldn't
get in the mine, get in that position where we were in twenty eighteen, which we had a whole bunch of deferred maintenance in our parks. And so hopefully that million dollars will allow us. To keep ahead of all the maintenance that we need to do. And you can see for the most of the rest of these, they are funded by the ARPA, that's the Federal Stimulus Program. And then finally, Premier Healthcare asked the county to pitch in and help defer the cost of their new building. And so we've included $250,000 in the budget per their request.
Constitutional officer recommendations here. We have the clerk and comptroller. You'll notice that increased from six to eight million dollars, and basically the increase is really for all the all of our constitutionals here is really just increases due to pay raises, increases in retirement, increases in health care. The sheriff's budget there, that represents 40% of the increase. in the property tax revenues as our agreement with the sheriff.
So revenues, where's all this $2.1 billion going? Or where's it coming from? So you can see the biggest source there outside of our reserves is our Abdelorum taxes at $457 million. And the second largest area here is our charge for service. And this is for water, wastewater projects, our solid waste, and those kinds of things. Where's all the money going? Public safety, of course. Public safety is the most important thing when we do citizen surveys. Public safety always comes up
as the most important thing that our citizens are interested in, as you can see. Public safety is number one on our list of funded projects. General government there is basically all the constitutionals, all the kind of internal services and things like that that we provide.
Yeah.
Change in major funds. So you can see the change in major funds here. I won't go through each of these, but the changes for these is primarily, as I said before, due to inflation. Changes in uh wages to keep up with wage inflation, changes in health care and retirement. You'll notice the tourism development tax. Last year the board increased the tax from four cents to five cents. And so that reflects that change there.
So these are our recommended action that we'll ask the board to act on this evening. As you can see, no change in the operating millage. We're asking the board to increase the municipal fire services millage from 1.8036 to 2.3 mills. And then the other millage rates you see here are general obligation millages, and those really are just set to the level that will allow. allow us to collect enough money to pay off that debt service.
Our next step this evening we have uh of course the first hearing. And at this board meeting we're going to ask that we vote on the tentative millage rates. The tentative millage rates that you adopt tonight can be lower, but they cannot be higher than the final millage rates that you adopt on September 19th. And so then the second hearing will be on the 19th, that's in uh New Port Richey, and we will ask the board at that time to vote on the uh final millage rates as well as the overall budget.
And that's my story. Okay, sticking to it. Any that's correct. Are there any questions for
um and we have a presentation on any questions for Bob on this?
I I had a question and I'm trying to find the email that had all the grants available but I have too many emails so I can't find it quickly. Um on the Seven Oaks Library, which is a shovel ready project maybe? Did we ask for a library grant?
I don't believe that we did. I could follow up with the libraries and find out I think Kathy was on the line. I don't know if she
Is Kathy on the line?
Yes. Yeah, I'm trying to see if that's one of those um areas that has a fun Rather than an appropriation.
Shawn McGarvey has informed us they are gonna apply for the five hundred thousand dollar frame.
Okay. Thank you. Excellent. Very good. All right, so maybe we'll have some wiggle room when that comes in.
Okay. All right, now we're gonna do a uh presentation on the MSTU as well?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
There's an MSTU presentation here.
Is Ralph here?
He's in the back.
Ralph, could you please send me that email please with the appropriations?
All right. So we'd like to talk to you about the FIRE MSTU. So the Fire Municipal Services Taxing Unit, as you're aware, FIRE MSTU can only be the funds generated from that millage rate can only be used for fire, cannot be used for paramedics, cannot be used for EMS. So that's an important distinction. So in July 2023, we asked the board to adopt on the trim a Millage rate of 2.3 mills. And so at 2.3, that fully funded the request
of the department for the capital and operating kinds of needs that they had. It funded their capital needs, so their construction of five new fire stations between now and twenty thirty two, I believe. And it would keep the fire fund solvent between somewhere around twenty twenty eight, twenty twenty nine. Oh yeah.
Can I just clarify something? Something with that, Bob. Actually the the original request had capital in it. We when we came up with the two point three number, we removed a lot of the capital from that. So we would look to fund those through other more traditional means of funding capital, i.e. impact fee or other types of uh um traditional debt, whatever, to to get those capital in. So we took that out of the MSTU original. That's where the two point three came from.
So since then in August 2023 Chief Perez come on board, he brought his chainsaw with him, and since then he looked at the requests, the new initiative requests, the operating requests, and he reduced that request by nine and a half million dollars. Uh those reductions were primarily in the area of large equipment purchases, those kinds of things, uh non-combat personnel, uh non-firefighters in other words. The chief and his leadership group has committed to limiting the growth in operating
expenses by 50%. So operating expenses in the fire fund are historically been about 18%, so we want to roll those back to about 9% increase. And 2.3% with I'm sorry, with uh 2.3 mils with all those changes will keep the fire fund solvent. through twenty thirty three.
So these are the fire MSTU initiatives that have survived. We'll see the increase, the pay increase to keep us comparable, to keep us competitive with Hillsborough and Pinellas, Tampa, those kind of areas. You look at the opening two fire stations, two and four, that are currently under construction or will soon be under construction, and then plans for five additional fire stations. in the future to bring our response times down for our residents. We're looking at mental health of first responders, generators
for fire stations, diver programs, software technology upgrades, and you can see the rest of them here.
So our 10 Millage Recommendation, the Government Finance Officers Association recommends uh strategic planning, a long-range planning horizon for financials in the in the five to ten year horizon. In Pasco we've adopted a 10-year planning horizon. That planning horizon keeps your focus on kind of the long range and you can see what changes you've made today and what impact they have on the long run. And so we've adopted the 10-year planning horizon, but anywhere between five to
ten is about normal. Pasco County, we're a high growth county, increasing demands for public safety, and as you can see from the hurricane, our our firefighters are out there working hard, they're running ragging, and so we need to bring on new fire stations and so on just to bring the stress level down for our firefighters. Tend to the millage rate of 2.3 meets that 10-year planning horizon, so that 2.3 mills if we look out 10 years. We still meet our GFO a recommended
reserve at that point.
And you may direct staff to look at our alternative planning horizons for consideration at our final hearing on the nineteenth. And again, next steps which we talked about before.
If you have any that's all I've got. If you have any questions I'll be happy to entertain those.
Any questions?
make a comment. May I Mr. Chairman
Mariano
So last time we had this. Conversation. I just went on the record, we talked five years, now you're talking ten years. I've talked with the county administrator on this. You keep moving. the goal line every time we have these budget talks. And so where we pick up, we started with no increases. Next min next meeting WEMO increases. Five years. This meeting, now we're moving to ten years. We keep moving the goal line on this board. And what's on the record is here we
are today and I don't in a in a process if if if it's you looking at ten years, we should have said ten years a month when we have that last. May So I just transparency within within this process of what exactly we're doing. I know thoughts evolve and as we get through this this cumbersome process things change. These are big jumps. And if it frustrates me trying to keep up with it and you know, with the citizens out there as busy as they are with their families.
I I just need to have some even m more clear with them in my opinion.
Commissioner Weightman, you bring up a good point. Um I will tell you with uh talking to Chief's after him getting in there, he told me of several things he looked at, saw some savings, saw some product things to go back and uh aggressively trying to like trim the budget for as best he can every step of the way. And I think, you know, your words of trying to make sure we cut this as close as we can. Um I think the staff is is doing that. um to go forward. So you have you're having a positive effect on the fiscalness of uh cutting it
as tight as you can. The great work they did as far as cutting it back is actually stretched out that time.
Well I appreciate those those chairmen. And and the pressure I I think is even even more on us now to make the right decisions. How many people have gotten their homeowner premiums? Your insurance is doubled, likely doubled or higher. We're battling not just oh we need an increase here Our general in my office Every day the calls are going in. I get contact from our property prior's office, Seth, we're we're receiving a lot of calls. People
are nervous about what these increases are going to look like. When we had our last meeting, our property insurance Premiums hadn't been released yet. And it wasn't chunk change that they increased, car insurance is up too. So as we move forward in this process Uh I think y'all kind of know where my my mind is and it's important everybody here know the reasons why. affordability. We gotta balance affordability in service. Um so I just as we move forward I'm gonna continue
to to urge you know folk folks are really really feel feeling that the pinch now with insurance costs go up and it's it's troublesome to me. We can't I know Tor Form and Tallahassee but we can't wait four to five years for folks to see relief. Folks folks need some relief now. So thank you Mr. Chairman
Mariano Commissioner. Um you know i the costs are going up and I agree with you about those costs, but uh if you gave this issue to be voted for by our by our citizens. I believe it was might be four or five years ago we had the referendums out. Our citizens actually passed where we increase The fire to build stations. and to put more money toward toward
their salaries to make us more competitive with the the people that are actually taking our main firefighters and all from our county. and we became very competitive and unless we move up and do some of this we won't be competitive and we'll lose our firefighters. And if you gave this issue to the citizens, I would almost guarantee they would pass it. They actually passed an extra monies and a referendum to pay for fire stations and for
personnel and their equipment. When they actually had another fifty thousand dollars they could have in another referendum they could have uh decreased their taxes on their home. And it didn't pass. And I would have swore that that would be passing 'cause that'd give 'em relief on their taxes on their home. But they didn't they didn't pass that. They did pass the fact that Give more money to firefighters and move forward. So Mr. Chairman Mariano. Yep.
Mr. Starkey. We we've always been known as a very um conservative and lower cost alternative to the counties around us. And um and
I think it's because we s we we scrub the budget and our administration also um is very careful about what gets through. And you guys have seen and our staff has come to us asking us to help get their projects through, but they don't get through because we're we're mindful of this problem. Um I think when you're a fast growing county like we are, it puts pressures on everything and all our costs
have gone up for the commitments that we've made in the past few years for roads, for infrastructure. And it's really unfortunate that we we have this inflation and I um shoot I have two houses in the county. I'm trying to sell one as fast as I can, but it's only one is homesteaded so I I feel the pain. I feel the I I feel the pain double. Um but I agree with you on the firefighter situation. Uh to have to have it take 18 minutes
to have someone respond to a call, it's not okay. Um that's a life and death situation. And uh the steps that we're taking today are not getting us all the way where we need to be. But again, we're taking that conservative step forward and um, you know, Commissioner Oakley talked about how many things were not taken care of before we were we were here. And and we're playing catch up. And
sadly now we're playing catch up with inflation. But uh these are not frivolous things that we're having to vote on here today. And uh remember that next year We have the P Bass situation coming. And other um do we have the last year of our solid waste or whatever that Two more years to go on that. So we're not through the pain yet, everybody. But um But to to kick this
can further I think puts our citizens' health in uh risk and makes it harder next year to m to make some of those decisions that we're gonna have to make it again next year. So I think we have to take this step. You know, we're we're not um It's not done easily. The last time that um we we had an increase here was when we were bleeding law enforcement officers and it was It
was um a difficult thing to do, but it was cheaper. to to pay our officers more. than to train them for three years and watch them go work for Tampa. But still live here because it's cheaper to live here than in Hillsboro or Penellas County. You can look around, you see all their first responders live here. Um and I wouldn't doubt that you're starting to see some of our our first responders and others moving to Hernando because Hernando is gonna be a
little bit cheaper than us, but you're gonna drive and there's gonna and and one day they're gonna feel this development pressure that we have. But I to to not take the steps today just makes it more difficult for our citizens, uh health and safety and puts makes it worse next.
Commissioner Weightman. Thank you. I appreciate everybody's comments, but I I kind of of a different mind. With folks with their with with their mortgage rates and the insurance hit that was on that's been on top of 'em, I think, you know, a a measured increase. This this is this is a big bite for folks. I've heard from Dozens and dozens of people that have called our office. And to Commissioner Oakley's point, we were a different world when the when the previous board approved and what the taxpayer approved to fund this program five
years ago or whenever it was. A completely different financial world. Fasco was in a completely different place. Yeah. You know, I've said on the record a a a measured increase is necessary and I support raises. But to go to go the full swing. I'm I'm very I'm very apprehensive to what it's gonna do to stress the taxpayer in their pocketbook. I r I really, really am.
Thank you, Commissioner Weightman. Um you know, we're dealing with inflation rates we haven't seen in I don't know how many years. Right. And it's not anything we can do about that. We've got people that need to be paid certain salaries to keep a plan, otherwise they're gonna move to somewhere else. Uh we went through it years ago with the deputies, as Commissioner Starkey mentioned. We had to put a three year plan in place to get our deputies up 'cause we kept on losing them. We train 'em and they leave. Firefighters firefighters, same thing.
We're trying to keep people here and and is they're gonna go To look for what's the best for their families down the road, it's all key. And I think what we've done and part of this MSTU, which is so critical with the Fire M SP MSTU, is we've become a leader in the nation of how it how we're building vehicles and how we're building stations. I mean Cong Congressman Congresswoman Laura Lee down hearing about all this stuff, she had come down just to see it. Um so I think as we and our citizens want us to be
as too go go to be Premier, we gotta get there. But you gotta take the steps and it starts with taking care of the people. And I tell you, watching our our fi firefighters out there work with the Sheriff's Office, going out there saving people, going in danger. One of the stories that didn't come out. that I heard was you know, one of the things we bought a few years ago was a fireboat. For safety. Didn't know how often we'd ever use it. But as they said if one life would have would have been done? Well they're down in Tower Drive when the I heard
there was an explosion. Hasn't been verified. And the explosion was there, the fire happened like instantly. And because we had that fireboat, we able to go around And as uh one of the chiefs was telling me, winch the people up, lift them in. Get him out of harm's way. So I think we probably saved two lives with that one boat. I don't know how many lives we save and can save even more by getting them there quicker. And we can't burn these guys out. We gotta staff them, we gotta push them. And f and again I think
I don't think things have changed that much because when the voters approved all the things we were doing We built trust. You heard Mr. Sample talking a little bit earlier about how long these public hearing would be with people coming into that podium and talking and talking and talking. And years ago we started doing presentations, and Mr. Gurry, you were very helpful with that. We put these presentations on, we did them out front, we showed people what we're gonna go do, we broadcasted it, we showed people, we took questions, and I think we built trust. And
the penny for Pasco the first time was a narrow pass, the second time? flew through and the third time flew through, even with the changes we've made for our commendations. the people moving down here are a little bit different from w what was here before. Um The retires are retired that came down here they they stayed very conservative, very tight, watched their money real tight. And the people down there that bring in families. We're g we're growing young young population and you're you're affecting it.
Yeah.
You're
adding to the problem. So you see it. But all that said, people want to live in a quality place. They want to know the schools are gonna be taken care of. Do you think impact fee that we put in place have slowed growth down? Not a bit. I think and I've talked to people when we first were doing looking at changes. When we're looking at like say cutting the fees for impact fee for schools a few years ago? One of the people from Tampa that just moved up here, she said to me I moved to Pasco because I like the fact that you're putting impact fees in place to go pay for my kids when they're going to school. That
tourist development tax that we did to to fund the Wiregrass project to go through and even the following year was to so we can build these facilities coming through. And I mean you heard me like talk about how we're gonna pay for it. I wanna make sure we don't go dead heavy on that thing, but I want to make sure we do the right thing. So as much as I'm saying we want to be careful, I want to make sure we build it right the first time. And spend our money the right way. Um I look at let me uh keep going. Um Swift Mud, as you know, cut back. Well we're gonna make up the difference of that. We gotta train
people to be able to do jobs they haven't done before and build them so they can multitask with different things so they can actually start taking over these projects. Because Swift Mud's going a different way at this point, as you guys know. Um Fuel cost? Maybe it comes down at a cer a certain time. But I will tell you for what we're doing and I think with cheap Perez that's out there. the cuts we're gonna make and we can make and we still got time for the next time coming through, but I I'm proud of you know Mike and you you're carrying forward All these great people you put
in place to keep to keep this thing rolling. Because we've got to serve the people. The people have told us they want to live in a quality place. They want to be premier. They like that. And and to do these things, I think we're doing it frugally, but at the same time we know we've got to spend money. We've got to keep our people we have here, and if it helps the chief to recruit more, then so be it. Commissioner Starkey.
Um well two things. One, um, you know, we we all agree we want to be a Premier County. Um And But I do think that and I I appreciate the wonderful fire houses or fire stations that we're building but I do think there's s room for some value engineering there and um and maybe you know we don't have to have the best most wonderful firehouse in the country um so I I I do
think that there's some room there. But what I I'm really looking forward to and where we have in my opinion dropped the ball. is applying for federal and state grants. And so I think we have the biggest opportunity to help our citizens if we would just start asking and and getting that part of the house in order. Because as I told you when I was in Washington and I'm in there with the other counties and they're thanking their They're um
senators, Scott and Rubio, for for all the help that they and all the money they brought back to their counties. We we just We just haven't been doing that and historically ever in this county. So I know we have a plan. I did we hire a grant person yet or I know we have we were close to one and it went away but
Yeah so uh very specifically the answer is is no. We are you know we we struck out with one, we just could not compete in terms of of pay on that. But just know that it has been a renewed focus and know that for example, you know, even on the fire side, uh we have we have pursued safer grants and we have worked very hard With uh at all levels our our our federal uh on on our uh representatives, our congressmen and our and our senators as well. I mean we we feel really, really good about our opportunities. Yes, I agree with you
one hundred percent, which is why we wanted to centralize grants with OMB to provide renewed focus on that. You'll you've seen changes in our legislative approach and our process to that. This is this is where we need to go. We need our our taxpayers pay taxes to the feds and to the state. We need to leverage that and we need to bring that home to Pasco County. So yes, that message is has not fallen on deaf ears. We are we are putting those things in play and I think you will see those bear fruit. Well and
and I wanna say, you know, Mike, you've done a phenomenal job as far as working on and changing that uh attitude that we didn't go after things. I mean you were you set up a meeting to go with J. Murphy, our fire s fire team uh from the union, etcetera, to go to to DC when you couldn't go, you called me up to see if I could go and I happily went and I'm gonna tell ya, we made a presentation and a really good presentation. That made an effect. So that could be seven, eight million dollars that could help us. We may not know until another few months. We may know next
month. Right? It'd be it'd be real nice. But one of the things we told them, and one of the things we sold them was look at what we've done for our fire stations, look what we've done for the firefighters, even our vehicles that could be in getting national accord that we're doing the right stuff that I think put us in a good position to possibly get that back. But you know, one of the things that Mike you've done as well uh with stormwater, I mean David Sewer and Company. They went out and got this giant grant for over Jasmine Lakes and whatever to do that whole thing what the FGA plant was, to go get that
funded. That was like what, eight million dollars? A ton of money. So I'm gonna say, Mike, thank you for keep on pushing for these grants because the people want it and you've heard us say we want it and you're doing it. So and I I know you want to hire the right person, you want to just hire somebody and with all the hires that you brought in you you're firing the right people, getting the right stuff done. So just keep I think want you to just keep doing what you're doing. I appreciate exactly what you're doing and I think you listen. Even even one of those things on the uh list going through was a sea grant agent, which
is very important to go get a lot of federal money and state money that's out there.
Commissioner Oakley. I just want to add to what you were saying about the building, the fire stations and all. Uh with all our growth we've needed fire stations and they've been coming along but here lately the fire stations we're now building are those where uh we're building within. In other words we got two fire stations far away and they're it takes them twenty minutes or so or twenty five minutes to to make a call in there. We're now building a fire station in between those, which is cutting that delivery time on fire service and
services for uh MTs and all to get there to help people in our county. And unless we have these funds to be able to do that, uh then we'll still have those complaints of how come you it takes you twenty minutes to get to our house to give us a service. But that's that's some things that uh it takes money to do those kind of things and and build those fire stations and we've done a great job in building fire stations So, Um that plus having money for For more pay
for our firefighters in our in our county. We need that so they'll quit leaving here and be stay here at home and uh stay close to their home too.
Anything
else?
Uh we're gonna go into the procedures right now.
Okay. Thank you, Bob.
This is the first public hearing to adopt the fiscal fiscal year 2024 budget for the Board of County Commissioners of Casco County, Florida. Citizens will be provided an opportunity to speak during the public comment portion of the hearing. Mr. Gurry, do we have proof of notice for this meeting?
Yes, sir. Notification for this meeting was provided in the trim or truth and millage notice mailed to each property owner.
In accordance with the Florida Statute 200.065, the first issuance to be discussed is the recommended millage and percentage changes from the rollback rates.
Thank you. Chairman, members of the board, the aggregate millage rate as advertised in the trim notice was 9.8305 MILS, which represents a thirteen point sixteen percent increase from the aggregate rolled back rate of eight point six eight seven six MILS. The reason the aggregate millage rate is higher is because the total taxable value increased between last year and this year. Generating additional revenue levied for the same millage rates. Table one in your handout shows the millage rates
for the various county levies and a comparison of the recommended millage rates to the rolled back 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. Tonight I would like to ask the Commission to adopt a The millage rates and total budget. The millage rates adopted tonight are the maximum allowed by Florida law without mailing each property owner an additional notice. The board can reduce the millage rate tonight through the final hearing on September
19, 2023. However, the millage rate cannot be increased. Later in the meeting, should the Commission wish to modify the budget, we ask that staff be directed to return on September 19th at the final. public hearing with the desired amendments. I'd like to give a brief summary of the general fund and transportation trust fund budget starting sorry stating the tentative millage rates, the percentage change from the rollback rate, and the reasons for this change. The tentative millage rate for the general fund is 7.6076 MILLs,
which is a 10.24% increase from the rolledback rate of 6.9010. The tentative millage rate is the same as last year's millage rate. The county realized a 16.5% increase in taxable assessed values over the past year. Compared to the current fiscal year, the tentative general fund expenditure budget represents an increase. Increase of $40.2 million. The main factors for this increase include fully funding the sheriff's budget request, including 10 additional deputies,
funding for the presidential preference primary, operational expenditures for the expanded detention center, fully funding five additional code compliance officers, and a wage increase for board and constitutional officer employees. Prior action by the Florida Legislature eliminated the requirement for mandatory transportation after Lorum tax. No transportation millage was levied last year, and we propose no millage be assessed this year for the Transportation Trust Fund. I ask that the Board accept public comment and then vote on the general
fund and the Transportation Trust Fund Millage Rates and Associative budgets. The minimum vote required to levy the general fund millage. Which is a simple majority or three votes according to our maximum military calculations.
Thank you. Does anyone wish to speak to the board regarding the general fund and transportation and trust fund? Anyone from the public?
We have persons signed up, but we're not sure as to what fund they may be wanting to speak to.
Thank you.
Um Rick Crocker.
What?
Mr. Crocker, if you give your name and address for the record?
Uh Rick Crocker, [address removed].
Okay. Go ahead, sir.
I don't I'm not sure if I'm the right uh venue or forum, but um I was very impressed with Mr. Marino uh Mariano earlier today about suggesting the other two to go down to the other office and Try to work something out that's uh that's great. But that's not why I'm here. I I know where you're going. I'm here to talk about the millage rate and and the taxes that that are forthcoming. Um I listened to Ms. Starkey talk about, you know, this isn't even the worst of the pain. Um I'm thirteenth
generation where I come from. You know I'm not from here. You can hear me. Um I've been here ten years. Um some of you know me. Um I I just am nervous that I won't be able to retire here and afford I mean I'm looking at at this this this paper. My taxes will go from forty three hundred to almost six thousand dollars. It's crazy. I I watched it happen in my own community, you know why? Uh family owned land. We sold it. What do we do? We we went and build
roads on it. We got paid to do it. We got off the board of selectmen, we got off the police departments, we get off the fire departments. volunteers. We gave it all up. I wish we never did. I know there's good people standing sitting in front of me and there's good people behind me. We gotta use common sense. Nobody will begrudge that a firefighter or a police officer absolutely should be paid a living wage and then some. That's not what I'm here to talk against. There's gotta be other ways. I'm encouraged
to hear the the the federal grants But let's look at those before we go and vote ourselves into Some submissive culture that we can't even afford. I'm telling her, watched it happen. Real time. That's all I really have. Belaborate, but dumb. Please. Does I I'd urge you guys to look at lower in the middle rate or something to help people to to Mr. Whiteman's points. This is this is serious.
And I and I'm I'm fearful that this county goes in the direction that my own town that was founded by my relatives um will go. Thank you. Thank you. Where are you from? Chicago Sandwich. Where? Sandwich.
Keep going, Mr. Chus.
Uh Nick and I apologize, I'm having a little trouble reading your last name, Troun Al.
You know, I don't I don't know if it's explained that a large part of this increase is the mill from the school district. And mosquito control. The mosquito, yeah, not us.
Let's let's do then the rebuttal in around and we'll talk about that.
Nick G. Moss, [address removed], so I had to hump it a little bit to get here. Um, I'm from Chicago. So as y'all know, taxes up there are a lot higher. Um I don't think anybody's here to speak for the increase, right? I think we'd probably have to get our heads checked if that was the case. Um
Y'all have a difficult job. Staff has a difficult job. I don't envy you at all. I ran for office myself once. Thankfully I lost. But um y'all have difficult jobs to do. I really don't envy you. Um but we don't hire y'all to do the easy things. We hire y'all to do things the hard way. Anybody can ask for a tax increase. That's easy. I can run for office and say I'm gonna raise people's taxes. You know what I'm saying? Anybody can do that. Um I really don't see what we're going to be missing
out on. if we don't raise our taxes. I moved here in August of ninety nine. Maybe people weren't calling Pasco a Premier County back in August of 99, but I certainly thought it was a Premier County. Y'all are not responsible for all of the increases on our bills, only a small portion, but I will say that If every agency votes for the uh uh proposed budget amendments My taxes are effectively going up 25%. That's
a lot of money. I just bought my house last year. The last guy paid two grand in taxes every year. Now I'm being asked to pay fifty six hundred. I'm thirty one years old. I was raised in Pasco County, I was educated in Pasco County, and I'm looking at leaving. I don't want to. But there's a large cohort of people like me that are going to leave. And we're gonna be what, stuck with retirees that have big pensions from up north and and everything becomes corporatized. We we build another Lowe's in an inconvenient location which is gonna cause way too much
traffic. You know, we argue over the thirty foot lots versus the forty foot lots versus the fifty foot lots and we just tax our way into a corporate society that we we can't already can't afford. I mean I don't see what we're missing out on.
For the last four years Every day Americans like me have woken up and life has gotten more expensive. Every single day. As Mr. Weightman was saying. It's it's everything. I know, you know, I work with the school board, uh Penny for Pasco, I'm the chairman of the Capital Finance Committee over there. We're having discussions on bonds and tax increases and all that fun stuff and You know, I'm afraid of what I'm gonna say in the meetings over there, you know, because uh education is important to me. But I do know that Government is
not here to solve everybody's problems. Not every circle can be squared, not everything can be shiny and new. Sometimes we as a society have to suffer and have less. So that we can prosper privately. Government's job is not health, safety, and welfare. Government's job is to build a venue for business to happen so that you guys can have tax revenue. If we squeeze ourselves We squeeze squeeze the lemon dry. We're gonna end up harming ourselves in the
long run. Um I appreciate your time. Thank you very much, Commissioner Starkey. Uh Chris
Stebbins.
No,
no,
you can't do that here.
My name is Chris Stebbins. I live at [address removed]. I'm here to protest the proposed budget increase, represent myself, my neighbors, and my fellow citizens in Crystal Springs, and to let you know that we know exactly what you're doing and you're not fooling anyone. It's bad enough I have to pay $3,000 a year, which isn't that much compared to him, for a mobile home that I own outright on my own land that I own outright. Without you
coming to me and saying, that's not enough. We need twenty-five percent more. Not enough. Yeah, we can't keep up with the potholes and we need to build schools and we need to hire more firemen. Inflation is killing us. You're gonna lecture us about inflation. You know what we're expected to do? When inflation hits us Tighten our belts, cut costs, and do more with less. That's what we're expected to do. What
you are asking us to do is no different than us going to our employer and saying, Inflation's killing us. I need a twenty-five percent raise. You can't fire us and I need it this Friday from now on. They would look at us like we were insane.
You can't even do more with more. Housing prices have doubled in the last five years and doubled in the 10 years before that. A house is four times as expensive as it was 15 years ago. So 15 years of 3% cap for us homeowners. 15 years of that. That doesn't include the commercial, business, rentals. They all gotta pay whatever you tell them to pay. There's no cap for them. So 15
years of exponential growth going into the coffers of this county, and you're coming to us and telling us it's not enough. We need 25% more. It's outrageous. You know what roads and schools and firehouses are? Impacts From over Built. sprawl, of which you are the overseers of You don't think $200 million
a year in impact fees is enough to make ends meet? I got news for you. If you think you can't make ends meet with that, double the impact fees, triple them. That'll stop the sprawl.
You're probably looking at me like this poor soul doesn't have a clue. What does he expect us to do? You know what I expect you to do? What everyone expects us to do. Do more with less. Tighten your belt. And cut cards.
Please don't apply.
Please
don't applaud.
Next question. Joseph Ly Lysek.
Joe Lisa, [address removed] Well, bought a house down there seven years ago. It's not homesteaded, like hers. I own another one. Like to retire there someday. Came damn close to flooding last week. Inches away. I heard you mention you had these boats to go and save people. They're told to get the hell out, they should have. Should have listened. We knew it was coming. Okay. My taxes when
I first bought that house in seven years have gone up 121.2%. modest two thousand square foot home. Your proposal W you want me to pay over nine thousand dollars a year for that home? That's kind of stupid, don't you think? It's nuts. Nine thousand a year Home was built in nineteen seventy two. still reflects that age, has not been upgraded.
I don't have stone countertops and all that fancy stuff in my house. Over nine thousand a year you want me to pay. Can't even buy flood insurance. Can't buy. Well yeah, I can thirteen thousand a year. Homeowners is over five. What do you expect us to do? Y'all want raises, we don't get raises. We want to retire someday. Living on a fixed budget like everybody else here. What
do you expect us to do? Just give up. 'Cause you're gonna have people moving. We're gonna move the hell out of Florida. Our taxes, you got your politicians up there in Tallahassee did nothing for us last year. Not a damn thing. Nothing. Zero. You still got people from the last hurricane last year that haven't been paid yet. Insurance companies are leaving. Or they're just flat out not paying people. Then you gotta sue 'em. That's
sad when you gotta sue your insurance company and get your house fixed, don't you think?
Gotta do something about this folks, because I'm not gonna put up with it. I'm ready to go all the way. Whatever has to be done to get it changed. Thank
you.
Yeah.
Uh Roxanne you had uh signed also, are you waving? Okay. Joseph Wells?
Good evening. Commissioner, Commissioner, Commissioner, Commissioner, Commissioner, Madam Commissioner.
My name is Joseph Wells. I live at [address removed].
What a great road, Nate.
Well, it would be if you could afford it long term.
There are a lot of things I wanna say, but I'm just gonna cut to the chase with the ones that are on my mind right now.
In addition to what everybody's saying, these cost They are killing us. I'm sixty-two years old. I can't retire at sixty-seven like the government says that I should be able to. I gotta wait until I'm seventy-one, at least.
You said that we um madam, you said that um we need to pay our people So that they don't go to another county. Well That happens no matter what you do. They move to the cheaper counting no matter what it is. Because guess what? Whenever you're charging us this much more every single year, Yeah. Beyond that Usually I see this
in a um Alexa. Add a lower in taxes in an election. So the people get to vote on it. The people don't get to vote on this here. We get to say a few minutes worth of things and then we have to live with ever whatever decision is made. And um a couple of the commissioners haven't even spoken. But the ones who have, the only one who has said
that it's too much is um Commissioner Weightman.
Nobody else is looking out for the small person in this um county. And this county was nice because I moved here because it was cheaper. than Pinellas County, where I lived more than fifteen years. My family's been in Florida for more than fifty-five years.
My father was a cracker from Florida, near Brandon. My brother was born in Florida. My baby brother, we call him a a mistake. He was born in Florida when we moved here in nineteen sixty eight. And we moved here because Florida was so much better than California with the Summer of Love and the Mansons the next
year. You know, my father said, uh-uh, no, I'm from Florida. We're going back to where I started. So even though both of my parents are deceased, my mother decided not to go back to her um home and her family in California. She stayed in Hardy County for 50 years. Before she died.
She worked until she was seventy five and a half. Yeah, thank him. Seventy five and a half. She only lived another year and a half after she took retirement. So that was a bit bad bet on her part. But I heard her father say Phyllis, you need to take your retirement at sixty-two so that you can make enough money um that you don't have to wait until um you don't have to live to be seventy five to get that money back. Can
you wrap it up? Nobody has the choice of um retiring at sixty two.
Your your time's over. Can you wrap it up, please?
Yes, of course I can. You guys are being paid ninety five percent of what Hillsboro County's being paid. Okay? So you guys are getting a bump and we're getting the shaft. Also Our um so-called um representative in Congress, Mr. Bill Barrakis, He's voted against every single um uh
thing for the people since he's gotten there.
Sure, we gotta wrap it up. Thank you.
Okay, no. I won't I have one more thing to say. There's been four million dollars requested for this very thing alone through his office.
Thank you, sir.
Richard Piggott.
My name is Richard Piggott. My wife and I live at [address removed].
I was trained as a CPA and I also am a certified financial planner. The transparency that you give the public between a millage increase and capital and expense accounts. don't give me anything to comment on. They they really don't. Uh I would have to dig into the books right alongside of the gentleman sitting back here. So
really all I can do is look at one line item And I take, of course, you have a a restatement this year. Bawn. this do not pay and I'm afraid people look at this and it says do not pay so they put in the round file. But anyway, there's a restatement on here. It says MS Fire. Well, last year my property taxes didn't have that restatement, but I went through
everything related to fire. And I find that the millage is up 26%. Now I hear, well, this year we're going to look forward ten years. And Mr. Uh Weightman was the only one that that bit back on that. Dog. Uh
The other excuse is inflation. Uh I would like for you to look at inflation as it's expected to be in the new fiscal year as opposed to the prior fiscal year. We all are are combating inflation and our Federal Reserve uh is doing a pretty good job of of combating it. And so I'm I'm afraid that inflation as a talking point. I want to close.
so that the sheriff doesn't take me out too. By saying that two minutes. I really didn't. I really didn't see uh commentary from y'all. that was balanced. A balanced commentary says we are doing better things in this county and we're doing it affordably. You're all taking victory laps for how much money you got. Penny for Pasco's
back when. and this, that, and the other. So all we're left with Yeah. Making sure that mister Weightman stays but you and you and you you're all gone, if I have anything to do with it. I probably don't, but So there's that and then we have to move to Hernando. Because this is unaffordable.
Thank you.
Mr. Chairman Mariano in advance.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah. It's okay, you don't have to. Uh if if anyone likes to speak they can just the gentleman go first and then what wants to speak next, line up behind him.
Um hello, my name is Jose Roldingen Jr. I live at uh [address removed]. Um I'm talking on my dad's behalf because he's eighty-three. Um we own a lot of rental property. We own a total of six homes. My dad lives in one and four duplexes, so thirteen rental units. Um When I saw the first slide that you guys had up there, they said homestead would only go up about three thousand and non-homestead would go up fifteen thousand. So the non-homestead,
nineteen thousand. Forty four thousand, twenty-seven thousand, twenty-three thousand,
Okay, get to this one. Twenty-one thousand. Twenty thousand. 47,000, 47,000. There's a little bit of change to that. So when I tallied all these up, it was about two hundred and forty seven thousand dollars that the Property values increased. I understand property values have to increase. I mean, look at Zephyrhills. I mean, they're we're booming now. But um $247,000? What this means to me is if you uh uh adopt the
budget, we're gonna have to pay Twenty-two thousand one hundred and eighty-six and change. If you don't adopt the budget, which I hope you don't We're gonna pay about eighteen thousand. Last year we paid about eighteen thousand, so it would stay the same. But unfortunately with the cost of insurance going up, um this year alone from January to basically now we spent $70,000 cash to renovate some of the people that when they left the property we had to fix it all up. Um, that's money that it'll take years for us to get back. Um
But I don't understand if you had up there it's only gonna go up fifteen thousand dollars for nine homestead. Why did two of them went up forty-seven thousand? That that's just outrageous. And these are in uh I would say the slum of Zephyrhills. So why uh Forty seven thousand and some of the sums of Zephyrhills. This is outrageous. I I understand all these people's pain with all these taxes going up. How are people supposed to afford to live? I like what he said. You know, he to me he's on our
side. I don't know so much about you guys. I don't really know but from just listening To you, madam, and you sir. I don't think you're on our side. And to to keep these taxes like they are, it's really gonna cripple people. What's gonna happen is my dad wants to sell these, but this is my only source of income because I take it over. Stuff like this from rental properties is going to affect not only my tenants because I have to raise the rates, which I don't want to do. But then you're gonna have corporations come in and take all these homes and then you're gonna have
a corporation run an entire community because you guys wanna bring the taxes. And I oppose uh propose that you do not adopt this uh proposal because it's really gonna hurt not only me, but everybody else that's uh wanting their taxes to not go up. And I do appreciate your time. Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
Hi, my name is Ed Grunbalds. I live at [address removed]. Uh I recently moved from Minnesota here, bought a home last year, Pasco County. Now I expected a bump in taxes because of the value of the home went up tremendously. But I didn't expect a bump, you know, a huge bump in taxes this year. Now My total
tax bill is eighty-four point five percent higher. this year as opposed to last year. Okay. That's the total. That's all the line items on our Do not pay this bill. This is not a bill. However, the two line items that you guys have have control over, and what this meeting is all about, is something just called county, something called MS Fire. The county went up seventy-three percent. Now
you can talk about inflation, which was 9%, now down to 4%, but 73%? That's outrageous. It's outrageous. Now the fire Is a hundred and twenty one percent more. Last year of this year. Hundred and twenty one percent. That's over double. That's also ridiculous, folks. And again, we only per two people were silent. Three talked that this is great
and only one talked against it.
That's that that's gonna show up in the voting booth, folks. It is, if you care about your jabs. I mean, i it's ridiculous. It truly is ridiculous.
I I I actually went to a city council meeting where they raised in twenty ten after the financial bust they raised property taxes six percent. I thought that was outrageous. I went back and I talked to them They went back and huddled, you know, went back and they raised four percent the following year, they went under inflation. So they heard me. I don't know if you guys are gonna hear me. But it's about time you listen. And
I'm only here one year.
These people have been here for longer. At least everyone has taught. So I have forty seconds left. I yield my time to the next speaker.
Thank you.
That's all we have signed up in advance.
Anyone else want to address the board?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, just for clarification. This is our county attorney. Okay. And that's our clerk of court. Uh well he's st he's sitting in for our clerk of court. Um she's not here today. So they're not elected.
They really don't want me to talk.
We're non-voting.
But we're glad they're sitting here with us.
Okay. Uh are we gonna cl close public comment for in here? Is there anyone on WebEx? Uh no, sir. Okay. Discussion Discussion by the board. Commissioner Starkey.
Um could you address some of the comments um because I need to I think we need to clarify what it is we're doing versus other bills that show up on people's tax bill and then go over again what is statutorily allow as far as a uh increase in property value.
Absolutely. So Most of the increase on people's tax bills that you're talking about are from the school board. So last
year can you speak up a little bit? Can't
hear you. Can you guys
hear?
So the biggest increase is from the school board. So last year the it went to the voters, the voters agreed to raise the school board millage by one mil in order to give the Pasco County teachers a raise. And so 75% of most tax bills is around that millage for the schools. The other twenty-five percent is generally around the fire millage increase.
So so uh what what exactly can you go over again What we are proposing and maybe put that slide up for the fire. Um and why and County Administrator maybe you need to talk about it a little more. Um so We did not raise our regular millets. It's the FIRE MSTU and and why you felt as five Republicans, well, four tonight, but normally five. Conservative
Republicans. Why you are bringing this to us and what it means to the the
Certainly I'll I'll be I'll make some brief remarks. The with regards to the fire MSTU, what convinced me in May was the fact that the fund was insolvent. The the expenses in the red. In the red, correct. The expenses exceeded. Uh the county had gone eight years without an increase, I believe, uh in in in that fund. And uh the exponential rate of growth and the demand of services the need to outfit new fire stations with firefighters and equipment. Um it it's simply at
a point where it's not sustainable. So with in conjunction with the previous fire chief, uh we outlined a plan that that kind of spelled out how we could uh provide some continuity um and stability within the fire service. There's a lot of external factors as well going on in that industry. We lose firefighters to Hillsboro, City of Tampa. It's it's highly, highly competitive. Uh we are the third busiest ambulatory um uh
agency in the state of Florida. Um and uh our response times are suffering and we are playing a lot of catch up due due to the growth. So the recommendation was made to to take a higher millage, recognizing that um the only other way to fund it would be from your general revenue. And so if if we took from general revenue that essentially would would you know, cut into other things than services that are provided by the local government. So we we felt that raising the millage a you know a modest amount would would would
would help solve those problems. We hired in the meantime the new fire chief. And Chief Perez takes a very conservative approach as well. And I think you saw that up there where you know he looked at large equipment reductions, looked at reducing non-combat personnel, looked to committing to operating expense growth reductions, and as such was actually able to stretch that 2.3 mils out to a Longer planning period. Now I will say this. Obviously, we, you know, as a result of these hearings, we can look at
alternative planning horizons, which would probably correspond to lowered millage rates on the fire MSTU. And so we're taking all this into account, you know, to move forward to the final adoption hearing. I will further say that we even within the general fund, uh, we recognize insolvency balances as well. For services are increasing. And I went back with each of the assistant county administrators across all funds in the county and had them rescrub their budgets back within their targets. And you know, and if there's contracts
that aren't going to work, well then they're not going to work. So I do believe that a lot of these citizens' concerns have been taken care of in the process. At this point, you know, any reductions in any of those would would simply mean reductions in service, in which case I would need feedback from the board on where you would want to go with that. But drawing the I want to go back to the Fire MSTU, I I do believe that Chief Perez and these things that we have outlined here are necessary for the fire service to to continue to provide, to be there when people need it, as we saw in the hurricane, just
as a you know as a recent reminder.
Okay. And Commissioner Starkey, just touch on that. And Mr. Cavelli, you made a you make a good point as far as we're trying to cut where we can. Uh Chief Perez, thank you so much for actually looking at it right off the bat and telling me the other day, as I said, was we're out there looking at the damage out in the area that uh you found some ways to cut and you're going to continue to work with our staff to go forward. Uh as we look at this technical
take that ten year window, bring it down to the five year. Um I think with the other capa capacity that you have, maybe it it it it gets slower and lower. So however it comes out, I want you to bring it back to us and as you talked, you may give us a few options as we do the adoption uh in a couple of weeks from now. So uh I think it's I think we all we all agree we want to see that. So um but again Again, our firefighters, I'm I'm proud to say that from the conditions they worked on from years
ago, they're better treated as far as safety goes, uh those hot zones, cold zones, so they can get into safe equipment so they can live longer lives, reduce cancer rates. I think it's something that I want to continue to go do. I want to make sure that we protect Everybody's let's say uh not to leave this country to go somewhere else. And we we we've been through that for years, where they would work in Pasco County, stay here for a little bit of time, because they could make a little bit more money down the street. All that time and money we spent
training and building our people, we lose the people down the street. We don't want to do that. Commissioner Starkey.
Well I I wanted to reiterate because I I'm not sure uh from some of the comments that we heard that they understood that what we're talking about is we will go through the expense of hiring it happens what happens with our deputies big time, but now it's happening with our firefighters. We will hire them. outfit them, train them, that's a lot of money before they're on the street helping. And then and in their third year they can leave and go somewhere else. And I remember the deputies showing me their paychecks. Boom, ten thousand more
dollars uh working for Hillsborough uh than working for us, but still living here. And it's it it it's It's a frustrating thing for us to have to you know, when other areas raise their prices, we have to we have to be competitive um to keep our deputies here and I I think we're even behind on the amount of deputies and firefighters that we need. Uh but can you go over what what the cost what this millage cost is.
People
leave every day for better jobs.
Please sir. Sure.
It just it it costs us a lot of money. It's it it's very, very expensive for us to train people for other counties. That's all. Uh what's the what the millage increase on the fire MSTU? 'Cause we're not raising the millage on the property.
So the millage increase on the fire is from one point eight oh three six to two point three mils. That's what we're recommending?
So what does and what does that mean in numbers? Value.
So that is an increase of $49 for the typical $100,000 home. Okay,
and this and this does not get us out of the red yet. Oh correct. Correct? Right.
Would you talk
about if we were to lower that sum
We what does that mean? I mean wha what happens to us? If
we were to lower the fire M STU or or even at the current at the current level that it's set at, um we will begin to eat into our reserves this year and the button will be completely insulted by the following.
And I don't
even know if that's legal.
If that's legal. If
that's legal. I don't think that's legal. I think um We have to keep what sixteen percent in reserves, what is the amount?
Sixteen point seven percent.
Sixteen point cent sixteen point seven percent in reserves, which is I believe two months of pay. It's two months of operating operating two months of operating budget. So we have not been facing the bullet on our responsibilities in the fire arena. So stinks, but
Okay. Commissioner Weightman.
Thank you, Chairman Mari Kabbalah, based on that statement after our Robust dialogue.
That's not the message I heard. If we don't go with the two point three. It's not the message that we talked about.
That's the wrong we talked about.
We talked about that. We could still work work through some things and you'd be we'd get two to two to three years if we land on a on a cer on a certain number. So I wanna I want there to be some accuracy because it's what what you agreed to Commissioner Starkey's statement uh kind of contradicts what m the exercise that we're actively working on.
I I I don't think it does. Um I think what Commissioner Starkey was asking what happens if we don't do anything and what We don't do anything, we go into the red. And I think we've been very consistent as to why action is a good idea.
Well And we you know And this
is the ten year plan, correct?
In in the recession, I don't think I was here in the recession. I think I was on the school board in the recession when we were cutting everything. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut. But I know what happened because I had young children at the time, is the county went into their general fund and cut the parks and the libraries.
Thirty percent.
And uh thirty percent, which is what we would be doing, 'cause that's what funds that's where the general fund money goes. And we'd be shutting those down. And and then we I remember when I first got elected we tried doing fees for people going to the park and we had fare boxes in the parks. I there's no there's no easy answer for this and I I understand I We're coming out of COVID with stuff and
now we have this inflation and um that's hitting all of us. Um but We we we do really have empathy. We really do. I have family members that are struggling too, so I under I understand.
And it's something to keep in mind too over the years and five years ago, the vote was made, the vote was made. People reached out as we put these projects forward for the Go Bonds, for jail projects, fire rescue, parks and rec libraries. People voted those in. We didn't make the decision. They made the decision we want these services. We don't want Pasco to be like it was with like no reserves, bare bones, they wanted a better quality life. And they voted themselves to be taxed on these
things. That that wasn't a factor. The school board just did the same thing where they couldn't hire bus drivers and and teachers needed races. I mean they they put it out there and was voted on. The people voted it through. So you may think we're just raising taxes, raising taxes. I think we're listening to what our people have said they wanted. Do I think we want to keep on cutting whatever we can? I do, and I think we're working on it. I think we're also looking at creating whatever opportunities we can to get other monies to come in here to help us balance our budget. So as far as to listen to our people,
I I think when they tell us they want these things, it's our duty to the right-of-way. To try to find a way to make it happen. It's unfortunate inflation's gone through the roof, things we don't control, insurance rates we don't control. We're trying to work with our state people to get them to kind of look at what's going on. I mean, my district's on the water, and frankly, for someone who owns their own house and have to go buy, if they're going to get citizen insurance, they have to get flood to get flood insurance, to pay a federal agency that's letting people stay in a four-season. Hotel? Different game. So
We are tr looking at what we can control every step of the way. And Commissioner Weightman, I don't think anybody's bashed you for, you know, pushing to go try to get us to cut where we can cut. At the same time, I think bashing Mr. Carbella to say, look, we're losing money for eight years. We haven't raised anything. We need to get these things done. We gotta get them done. So It's not an easy process and again we do have another meeting coming in two weeks to finally make a decision. Uh but we had to put in the highest number that was there. We can always bring it down. Commissioner Oakley.
Um figure we needed, you know, the different things. We were twenty twenty years behind in parks and rec. We had to bring that up. But the citizens voted to bring that up. We put it in there in the referendum where they could do that. We were going to build a thousand bed, because we need it, a thousand bed detention center. We and and we put the bonds out and got the money. And because of inflation, we only end up with a little over 500
beds. 'Cause inflation and the cost of it hit us so drastically at that time.
Did you see in the butt in our budget to in our approvals today? We approves giving Hernando County two point something. How much?
Approximately two
point seven million.
Because we don't have room in our jail, we gotta send them up to Hernandez.
house those extra inmates that we can't house. So but a lot of this is it keeps going on. That's uh the fact of it is I'd I'd like to see us not raise any taxes and and be good. But as soon as we don't do what we're supposed to do to keep things going the right way for our citizens, as soon as we stop getting that money that we need to provide at these services. Our phones are they ring off the hook now and we are providing services. Just
think what it'd do if we didn't have the funds to do the services. We need here now and in the future. We're looking out in the future what you gonna need. We're still a cheaper neighborhood and and county here than we are some of our neighboring counties. They're much more expensive. But It takes money to do some of this and And I had to pay it too. I paid in my taxes. And I'd pay more at the grocery store. Everybody does. I wish there was something that would change that. But being We're
I think fifth in the nation of the fastest growing counties in the whole nation, United States, right now. There's a lot happening right here. So our job is to make sure we have these services. You wait to uh someone has a burning house and a fire truck doesn't show up. Whether it be fifteen or twenty minutes. If it doesn't show up, you really got a problem. And that person is having a heart attack and and you don't get there within
that five or ten minutes, that person's gone. We gotta stop that kind of thing. And and by building these extra fire stations, providing that service, cutting that service from twenty minutes to five and ten minutes. It makes a lot of difference for our citizen in Pasco and they want that service. I know it's expensive for all of us. But our citizens deserve good service. No one's another thing, just one other thing and I'll I'll quit. There
were things firefighters wanted too, like more Kelly days in their contract so they could have a little more time off 'cause they get they get worked pretty quickly in in what they do in a fire. A firefighter going to a fire and working in a fire? doesn't last but about fifteen minutes 'cause he's exerting every bit of his energy in that fifteen minutes that he arrives. So that first when that first call comes and they put we put out there about twelve to sixteen people. On that
first call of a fire. They're only gonna last fifteen minutes when they start fighting that fire. A lot of people don't know that. The fact of it is we got another group coming right behind them because they're gonna have to relieve them in about fifteen or twenty minutes. So it's amazing in what you have to do and what you have to provide to have fire service, police service and and all the different services we have to look out for counties. Flood issues and everything else, we've tried to work hard on all
these issues. But it costs money, it actually cost too much money to do a lot of things. Well
we got good people. And you know you talk about a couple of things right there and one gentleman made a comment about the people that we had to go evacuate, right? We made it mandatory. We didn't want to make Lee County's mistake and wait too long to tell people they had to go. So we pushed and that my message never changed and I didn't see anyone else's message changed. You had to go out. And I will say the following day I heard people say, Well I heard on the news it was only about a foot storm surge so I stayed in. Yeah. So that misinformation might have slowed people down. I'm just telling you, that's what they that's what people told me. So so going through that,
even still coming back into the conversation that we had today at the Board Meeting was to say, you know, let's go look at shutting down water, shutting down electric, just having patrols out there to go through so that people are safe. So we know we need to get people evacuated, we need to go forward. It's something that happened years ago. We used to flood out all the time. Watched it on the news. I ran in 2004 the first time. I watched four hurricanes go through and watched my people get flooded all over the place. What did I think my people wanted me to do? Was to go fix the flooding. I took every course I could because we
did it? Yes. But are we a better place to live? I think so.
One thing to that fact a a mandatory Move. Time to leave. A lot of people wouldn't move. Even after a mandatory move. To get inland. We still our our fire service and our police officer still had to go out and pull out a hundred and eighty four people that did not leave.
And they were mostly elderly.
And you can't get a you can't get away from the water. Water kills. So if you don't pull yourself in inland and get that help to get inland, Then we have to go. Service. There was two fires on houses we couldn't even get to because they were flooded.
Mr.
Starkey?
Um so I want to go back to um some of the comments that people made about the increase on their bills. Um because I don't understand how you can go up eighty percent or whatever some of the numbers were. So uh and I I would love for you to give that to him. Um What statutorily on the part that we can control, uh we say it's three percent on homesteaded rate?
Correct.
So can you go over that? Taxable site
value cannot increase by more than three percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. This year the rate of inflation is more, but for the 14 of the past fifteen Years, rate of inflation has been less than three percent. And so this year, three percent of your taxable assessed values can't increase by more than three percent.
Okay, and what about non homestead? Because I also have a non non homesteaded home.
Non homesteaded properties can't increase by more than ten percent taxable assessed
values. Who was the guy from Southworth Hills?
Yeah,
two
of them increased by forty
seven thousand. No, we
can't we can't take public.
Okay, so I I just you know, it's not coming from the count. Your in those increases aren't coming from us. I don't know what they're coming from, but What From our part, it cannot go up. More than ten percent.
Well if they if they show those values.
We need to go talk to the property
appraiser. I
don't know.
Because they're the one that set those values, not us.
But even even if your value has gone up fifty percent or sixty percent, your taxable increase cannot go up more than ten percent.
Exactly.
So if the if you think there's an issue there and you think something's wrong, please contact the value adjustment board.
Well property.
Because
they cannot go up more than ten percent.
They would pot the first call would be to the property appraiser's office, but they haven't they have X number of days. To petition for uh review by the value adjustment board. It's on it's on the bill. I'm ready to go. Or on the trim notice, sorry.
And Bob Ch Bob talk about if you would the homestead homesteaded properties that people buy and then when they buy it the year later the taxes go up because they don't have the same discounts or the values significantly been protected all those years until it goes up and
exactly. That's a good point. So but property owners in the property there's a difference between the market value of your home and the taxable assessed value of the home. The market value is going to be much higher than the taxable assessed value. Once you sell that home, the taxable assessed value resets to the market value. So if you buy a new home, you're automatically going to be paying more taxes on that property just because it's reset to the market value, not the taxable assessed value. The property appraiser's website actually has a calculator on it that when you buy a new home you can
calculate what the tax bill that you can expect on that new home. Yeah. Yeah.
So uh and then you need to file for your homestead exemption if you live in it fifty percent of the time. And then the following year it cannot go up more than three percent.
Yes, and there's actually eleven homestead exemptions. The homestead exemptions we're showing here are two of the homestead exemptions which everybody should have, but there are eleven altogether, so I encourage people to go to the property appraisers website and research all those eleven different uh exemptions.
Okay. Yeah.
Commissioner
Weightman. I just have one one final comment. I I truly believe He yelled at for not being in the microphone. I truly believe we have A greater disparity disparity in wealth in our county than we ever have with all the new folks that have moved here. With all the new money that's moved here. The folks that have moved here from out of state. have come here With a larger pot of money than our existing longer term residents, pre-COVID residents. With property
values and people flocking here have skyrocketed Our existing residents dollar for dollar can't keep up with the new folks, in my opinion. And when we tax them, they're not able to keep up with this new kind of cost of living that we now have. And I'm very sensitive to that. That compounded with insurance hikes and everything else and and your and your properties jumping, you got our our existing businesses jumping ten percent year over year over year. Look at your values. It's they
jump up pretty quick. I know they're they're capped, but When your revenues and the money in the bank isn't keeping up with the the the new value of Pasco County. It squeezes out. All the folks that have been here for a long time. We've all been here a long time. We all understand. Yeah, so you know, I I am Very sensitive to that in this decision. I don't so I'm just I'm just I listened to you guys. And, you know, the new f
there's a new fella here, he's kind of sticker shopped, right? I was like, oh you know. Uh I just I just make that statement and uh I appreciate the chairman for giving me giving me giving me the time.
Yes.
All right.
Okay.
Any further discussion? Okay. Is there a motion to adopt the tender millage rate for the general fund of 7.6076 mills? I move.
And I'll second.
All in favor
say we can always change it at the next meeting. Yeah, you
still have an element. Keywords tentative. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
Opposed.
Any opposed? Oh I'll call on you.
We got one more game going. One more round.
Is there a motion to adopt the tentative millage rate for the transportation trust fund of zero mills?
I make that motion.
Which one?
Gotta have a second for zero taxes. Let's go.
Zero mills. Oh, I'll say a second for zero mills. You can have a pro on that one. So a motion is a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Okay.
Mr. Chairman Mariano Services taxing unit budget stating the tentative military percentage change from the rollback rate and the reasons for that change. The fire municipal service Taxing unit has a recommended tax levy of 2.3 mils. This represents a 40.73% increase in the rollback rate of 1.6343. The increase in property values results in an additional $21.7 million in property tax revenue. The budget includes a negotiated firefighter wage increase,
software equipment, and technology upgrades, as well as a first responder and mental health. Health program. I would ask the Board to accept public comment and then vote on the municipal fire municipal services taxing unit fund millage rate and associated budget. The minimum vote for this tentative hearing is a simple majority or three votes.
Okay. And before I pull call for public comment, I just want to discuss this just a little bit, Mike, because I think you've heard pretty good direction from us. Um I know initially we're going to take a look at a ten year plan. I think we need to shelve it down to a five-year plan. I think five years good good good planning. I want you to continue to work with the Chief on this to find out what cuts. I mean he's got some great ideas already, so keep working that through so when he does come back to us that we can And uh bring bring the number down. But for right now, um it is a tentative tentative situation so far.
We can present the board with options, yes.
Okay. This is time for public comment. Does anyone wish to speak to the board regarding the fire municipal service taxing unit?
Can I ask a question please?
You can speak, but we're gonna we're gonna take people in order, so hang on. You'll you'll have your three minutes as soon as this gentleman's done first. You're first and
My name's Paul Totten. My address is protected. I'm a firefighter in the county. I serve on the local Z Board. I'll try to be brief. I've been here all day like you. I think it's worthwhile to point out that I recognize that raising taxes is a big deal, and I recognize that a lot of people are having a tough time right now. But it occurs to me that had this millage rate been adjusted, even in the most modest amount five years ago, what a
much better financial position we would be in now, and how much of that growth that's come to this county of people, of wealth, of means from other areas that are buying. these expensive homes the portion that they could have been paying. into our tax rolls to to build our fire department to what it should be. Uh Florida Tax Watch, I'm not I assume you're all aware of it. Their comparison of the 67 counties in Florida, the 2023 publication places Pasco at
57th out of 67 counties for public safety expenditures. That's unbelievably low, and it's a testament to the work that the men and women that work for your fire department have been putting in. To make it function as well as it has. It's time to adjust the millage for the fire department to bring us to the area that we need to be. And one of the things you'll appreciate, I live in Clearwater. My fire department's ISO
rating is one. I appreciate insurance savings because of the ISO rating.
You mean your
property values and you save money on your property value because there's a fire station closer to
the
right-of-way.
No, I save property I save money on my homeowner's insurance. And the businesses save money on their insurance because there's a
fire station closer by the right-of-way.
And there's fire hydrants every five hundred feet and the effective response force, which I don't even believe is measured in this county, is you can get fifty firefighters in front of a burning building in a matter of fifteen minutes down there and that is It's just not a reality here. We we're behind and we need to get Some momentum to catch up. One of the interesting things about the Tax Watch document is if you've been following it over the years, it's a per cap measurement, right? Well This
year we dropped and it's a byproduct of our millage, our revenue coming in not matching the population coming in. So the per cap dollars were somewhere in the 600s last year. It's down in the 500s this year because of the population increase and the fire service not growing to match the population. Look at the amount of hospitals that have been built in the county, the amount of publics, the amount of all these other service buildings to serve the citizens and then compare that with the growth of fire departments and fire fire stations in the county. We simply
have not been keeping up. I'll quote Commissioner Bradford at the last meeting, it's time to pay for the party we've been having. The millage needs to be adjusted up, it's time. It's well past time. And the deeper in if you dig into this, you'll make a very strong case for the millage adjustment that's being asked for. Thank you. Thanks.
So the um as he's walking up if you don't mind the um the document that he's speaking to I would encourage all of you to go see it because you can see where Pasco County compares to every other county in the state over multiple areas. Um it shows where your tax dollars goes. Compare and it's called Florida Tax Watch, How Florida County Compare and um yeah we're we're playing catch up.
Okay. That's right. Name and address?
Uh Richard Piggott, you need the address again. Yes, please. [address removed]. I have a financial question. Does the millage cover fixed expenses such as new fire houses.
Is that your only question
or do you want to go further? Well I
he's commenting.
No no I I'll get
the answer, but do you want to continue on with your public comment or just
I
w
I want to ask another question once I find out the answer to this
question. No, I'll allow it discussion.
It's not included. It doesn't cover the construction cost of new fire stations.
I don't
know.
That doesn't make any sense then.
Includes the operating costs.
Okay, so Where do you get the money if you don't have a a bond for new fire stations that you've been building the last number of years?
The primary way is through bond or loan and through impact fee.
I don't see any amortization of a bond in here. Is the amortization of the bond in the millage?
It's okay to stay up there. Stay up there and stay back together.
Well you have separate Gobond millage Bobby. Okay, thank you.
Um sir, our budget is online. You can go check out our budget. I encourage you to get a bit more than that.
Okay. Is there anyone else who would like to speak to the fire municipal service taxing unit?
You got a house like I got. My name's Joe Lisa, [address removed]. We my wife and I went to the tax assessors or the the guys that put the values out of house over here. Property appraisers. Property appraisers. Spent a lot of time with them. brought all kinds of different scenarios from around our area and what houses sold for, what conditions they were in and so forth. Basically we got, oh well, if we don't like it, bring us to court, but we never lost. And
I've still can I wanna know why in seven years I my taxes have gone up a hundred and twenty-one percent. It's over seventeen percent a year. Where's it the ten percent cap? Pernam Homestead Homes. Where is it?
What's that? State law. State law? Ten percent can't. Mine's above that. So what's his gonna be?
It's not from us. There's there's other people that put
The property appraiser is a separate constitutionally elected officer. It he is in charge of setting up the easy. Evaluation. Tax collector is in in charge of collecting.
Yeah, I
understand that. But so the uh we got
nowhere as when we went there and
asked them to file a petition to to have your taxes reviewed with a VAB like it says on the bottom of your trim notes.
We were look we got past the deadline on that last year. We weren't really up on it. This year we definitely will. The other question is, you know, they got our our house assessed at this value. That's on a fixed Market because no houses are the same that sell in that area because we're non-homesteaded. That's how they get the value. My question is, what's my house worth now since interest rates have gone way up and the flooding that's happened that side of 19? Who's
gonna even want to buy the house now?
That So we our taxes are collected a year The wait, the values are set and then
it's a good idea.
So if if if there is um If homes on the water are devalued then that will show next year. But I don't think you'll see any difference because it's still going up. I mean my my house value in Gulf Harbor is Thank God I have Save Our Homes on it. That's it's deviled since I moved there five years ago. So um It's gonna be
harder
to sell it
now with the insurance pro problems of
it. My neighbor bought it bought her house cash from New York. They think it's so cheap to live here if you live in up up there.
Yeah, it is compared to New York. We're from New York. I understand what taxes are in New York.
So uh
But there are other things on your tax bill besides our levies. And maybe you're seeing some of that? Yeah. But you have an opportunity with the value adjustment forward to have your
thank you for your answer.
But I'm gonna I'm gonna question sir that might might help you with your answer. So when we p when we put these When these go bonds were passed, when the school millage was passed. Yes sir. Could that drive it up more than ten percent for somebody?
We've done some research while the folks are up here talking and this gentleman in particular what they're doing is they're comparing the tax rate that they'll be charged next year to the rolled back rate. We don't currently charge the rolled back rate, so you should be comparing column one to column three. Most people are comparing column two to column three. That's where you get the hundred and twenty percent income.
Okay, I figured something was going on.
Everyone
percent.
So you probably got a minute left if you want to make a comment or let you come up.
That's not true. I do you have a relative?
Just just cut speak into the mic though, please.
Only column I'm comparing is what I paid this year to the next year to the next year to the next year. That's where I'm getting the 121%. Not by any kind of fictitious value, it's what I have to pay out of pocket. It's gone up 121%. Well we can just look you
up on the line of the right-of-way.
Yeah, I'll we can do
that. If you if you would later on,
would you guys get together and just go through that?
And it's it's ten percent of the taxable value, it's not ten a ten percent increase in taxes. That's correct. So it's
a
go bonds could drive it off.
more than ten percent, but the other taxes like v w that were voted in can drive it up. And the millage of the school board as well. Okay. All right. Anyone else here for public comment?
Seeing no one will close public comment here. Anyone on WebEx?
Uh no sir.
Okay. One Commissioner Oakley. Mm-hmm. Okay. Somehow I think I might need you
can you change the screen? We're we are
getting the fire department out of the red now.
That's the one where
Yes. We're on the fire municipal service tax and unit. And the next now that public comment is closed, is there a motion to adopt a Millage rate of two point three mills for the fire municipal service taxing unit. I move.
Second.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
Aye. Opposed to the two point three millage rate. Any opposed? Polls.
All right,
thank
you. I'd now like to provide a summary of the eight voter approved debt service millage rates. These millage rates are levied to repay the debt service for the general obligation bonds to include two tranches each for the jail, the fire rescue projects, the parks and recreation projects, and the library projects. The eight individual millage rates are listed in table one in your handout rather than read this chart into the record. We have provided copies to each commissioner board records and members of the audience. I asked the abode to accept public comment and then to vote on each
debt service millage rate independently. There is no vote requirement for these millage rates, so a simple majority or three votes is all that's needed.
Does anyone wish to speak to the board regarding any of the eight bond and village rates?
Seeing no one approach. Anyone on WebEx?
No sir.
Okay. We'll close for comment. Is there a motion to approve approve? To adopt a millage let me get I need to finish. Let me finish. Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point zero two nine three mills for the two oh one nine A shale facility bond? A question.
I moved.
We have a
motion and a second. We
have
a question. Commissioner Weightman?
To clarify, are these numbers the same as the previous
I think on the whole they're dropping, aren't they, Bob?
Yes, sir. They they'll drop because assessed values go up being a lower millage rate to collect the same amount of
remote. Yeah, they're just set to generate the same amount of revenue to pay the debt service.
That level of detail is appreciated. Thank you.
Yeah.
I agree. That should be more communicated that this is less.
Thank you. We have a motion, a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?
Is there a motion to adopt the millage rate of point zero two three four mils for the twenty nineteen B fire rescue bond?
So move.
Second.
And under discussion.
Under discussion.
The attorney told me if we don't approve it, we're in default and we're all going to jail.
I didn't say jail, but we'll go to Hernando. But these are the people. But staff is is is preparing millages to make sure that you comply with your bond covenants for these general operating
So did this one go down like the previous eight? Yes, sir. I appreciate that level of detail.
The others should do the same. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of 0.0109 mills for the 20 2019 C parks, recreation, and natural resources bond?
So
moved. Second. Any further discussion?
Same question.
It has reduced. Has gone down. Thank you for that
level of detail.
Everyone will be the same. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point zero one zero seven mills for the twenty nineteen D Libraries bond?
Submoved.
Second. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Notion passes. Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point zero five two six MILS for the 2020 A fire rescue bond?
This one's for you, sir.
I move.
No, I was gonna let Seth make the motion.
Did it go down?
Yeah.
So you're lowering
I'll let you all keep the pattern here. You need it needs a second.
You need a second?
Second.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Passes. Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point zero zero nine eight mils for the twenty twenty-one A Libraries bond?
Summit.
Second.
Did it also go down?
That went down as well, ma'am. Thank you.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point one two two eight mills for the 2021 B jail
Was this also lowered?
Discoverage rate increased only because in the first year of a bond we paid debt service only, second year we're paying debt service and principal.
Done. I have a motion to second. Second. Further discussion.
I'm curious to know how much it would go up. You
want up from Point one one mils to point one two.
I know we're obligated to say yes, but I'm just curious.
Alright. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes. Is there a motion to adopt a millage rate of point zero one two two mills for the twenty twenty-two A Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Bond?
Summit.
Second. All in favor say aye. Wait,
did it go down?
This is a new bond, so it wasn't on the the tax bill last year. Increase. Okay. Aye.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?
Thank you. I'd now like to provide a summary of the remainder of the budget. If you refer to Table 2 in your handout, you will see the revenue sources and allocations identified by type without regard to individual funds prior to any action taken by the board tonight. The budget totals $2 billion $119,456,605 net of interfund transfers. I ask the board. were to accept public comment then vote on the tentative budget. There is no vote requirement for the budget, so a simple majority or
three votes is all that's needed.
Okay. We will now receive public comment on the tentative budget. Anyone from the public like to comment?
Seeing no one cloth closed proper comment here. Do we have anything on weapons
approved? No, sir. Okay.
I have a motion.
Uh.
Actually wait a second, I got it.
Okay. So all in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Opposed. Okay.
Thank you. The actions you have taken here today has set the tentative aggregate millage rate at 9.8305 MLs, which reflects an increase of 13.16% above the rolled back rate. I will now read the resolution adopting the millage rates by title only. A resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, adopting the tentative levying of ad norm taxes for Pasco County for fiscal year. twenty twenty four providing for an effective date.
Is there a motion for the approval of the resolution adopting the tentative living of ad valorem taxes for Pasco County for fiscal year 2024?
I uh I'll I'll make that mess.
Second. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. So just to understand. A minute, let me finish. Any opposed? Well,
I guess if I oppose the budget, I oppose this, right? Kind of the two cent opp oppose.
Does it does it say tentative?
So this is the same knowledge
that we've had for eight years.
This includes the increased fire millage for too much.
We have the same millage for eight years plus an increase of point what was it? 2.3 to the fire MST.
Yeah. Okay. So I'm going to call the motion. I'm going to call the motion again. Um all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed.
Opposed.
Okay.
Thank you. I'd now like to read resolution adopting the budget by title only. A resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, adopting the tentative budget for fiscal year 2024, providing for an effective date.
Is there a motion for the approval of the resolution adopting the tentative budget for Pasco County for fiscal year 2024? I move.
Second.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Opposed.
Thank you. Any changes made between now and the final public hearing will be detailed in a memorandum which will be be provided to you with your agenda for the regular meeting of September 19th, 2023. Staff recommends the board provide direction prior to the final public hearing regarding any additional amendments to the tentative budget as a result of the memorandum mentioned above and any other amendments the board so desires. These changes can then be be incorporated into the resolution for public hearing on the evening of september nineteenth, twenty twenty three, at five fifteen P.
M.
Okay. So I know Mr. Gabrella's gonna be looking at the budget, he's especially the MSTU as far as what what we can do there, if there's any other savings as well that we can pass on. So um I wanna thank you all for participating. This concludes the tentative public hearing. Now we're gonna go back to an item we had on the hearing before.
If those people are still here, Chairman Mariano, they deserve an
We think the the tentative budget and village period, not the tentative public hearing
because
we
did
a public
hearing. Oh well fiction.
Back in the eighties.
That one newspaper. Well,
see what I'm way off skip. Wrote
the story, then by the way.
Yeah, a whole little paragraph in there or two.
Thank
you. With that.
Right.
So are those other people here?
No, no, these are the
easy things.
They I got a thing from Elizabeth that they had.
And this one. So don't hurry and