STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

More Guest Columns

• Guest Commentary: Councilor lays out the ‘facts’
• Guest Commentary: Councilor Chuck Kiester 'My turn'
• Guest Commentary: Progress in challenging times

Share and Enjoy [?]

On Monday night the City Council approved the final property tax millage rate for 2009 at 1.3970, the adopted lower property tax rate recommended in Florida’s Tax Reform of rollback rate plus the State’s adjustment for inflation of 4.15 percent. This action continues to reduce the tax burden on our citizens, and continues the commitment of the city’s investment in capital improvements and city services within the city’s spending cap.

As an aside, and without conducting a full survey, millage rates for full-service cities in Florida typically vary between four and six mils, depending on the amount of commercial development compared to residential, services offered, utility system transfers, franchise fees and other revenues adopted by the city. Marco Island’s new rate of 1.397 mils is lower than the rate for the city in 2004, far lower than that of most cities in Florida, and is lower even than the tax rate outside of Marco in the unincorporated sections of Collier County. If you compare the intensity of development and services offered, city services are an exceptional value on our island home.

In summary, with Monday’s action City Council reduced revenue from property taxes for 2009 on Marco Island by an additional $620,000, and this will reduce the city’s spending below the cap by this amount. In addition, council directed that the costs of street lighting, budgeted at $350,000 and funded through the franchise fee paid on individual electric bills, should be absorbed into the General Fund, bringing the total reductions needed to balance the budget to $970,000.

The recommended reductions affect all departments and employees, and the struggling economy makes these reductions appropriate. Although there are a number of smaller cuts and reductions, the primary changes in the recommended budget include the following:

– Hiring of three additional firefighters. City Council eliminated the human resources coordinator and the accountant positions recommended in the budget, and agreed that delaying the hiring of the three firefighters after the first quarter of the new year was a fiscally responsible thing to do. The new firefighters impact overtime expenses, and allow the City to reduce funding for overtime by $75,000.

– Reduction in Legal expenses of $50,000.

– Reduced salary adjustments for employees, funded at 3 percent to offset an increase in health insurance costs in the coming year of 5.2 percent.

– Reduction in bridge repair funds by $228,400, with the expectation that bridge safety is assured and bridge integrity will be maintained.

– An emphasis on community events and recreation programming with an increase in funding of $65,000 beyond the initial budget. The Department of Parks and Recreation will expand city-sponsored services and events, and the city will also create a competitive pool for events sponsored by outside agencies and groups.

– An investment in developing shoulder-season events. Funding of $10,000 was provided to work with area businesses to develop appropriate activities to bring spring and fall visitors and business to the island.

These decisions were difficult ones and consider in thoughtful deliberation. Thank you to all of the residents that have provided thoughtful comments to the city for ways to decrease the budget.