Council sets 2010/11 tentative millage rate
The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously adopted Resolution 10-16 to set the tentative operating ad valorem millage rate at 1.00 mil for tax year 2010/11 at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, July 12. The rate was set to be in compliance with the state of Florida TRIM requirements and is used in conjunction with the value of the individual Beach property.
The tentative millage rate determines the proposed operating millage rate will exceed the roll back rate at 7.75 percent at the 1.00 mil. If the council members – who were four strong with Councilman Tom Babcock’s excused absence- were expected to fund the standing budget gap of $632,000, the millage rate would have had to be 1.0576.
Before the motion passed, Councilman Alan Mandel made a pitch to increase the millage rate for that reason. He also pointed out the council hasn’t had adequate time to work on the budget.
“It seems to me that, philosophically, you’d want to set this thing as high as you can to meet the numbers that are in the budget right now with the anticipation that there may be changes,” he said.
Councilman Bob Raymond, who made the motion for 1.00 mil, was not willing to increase the rate to that proposed number.
“You are going to be hard pressed to get me over 1 (mil),” he said.
The 1.00 mil rate was recommended by the town staff.
“This is a millage rate for which the council cannot go any higher,” said Town Manager Terry Stewart. “This allows the council to work its way through the budget and make determinations about what to include or not to include. The council will be able to adopt a final approval of the budget before the end of September.”
For the year 2009/10, the millage rate of 0.8187 was set for a final taxable value of just more than $3 million and $2,459,139 taxes levied.
“Last year, the percentage of the total tax bill for the Town of Fort Myers Beach was a little over four percent,” said Town Finance Director Evelyn Wicks. “I expect it to be in the same range this year.”
With his experience in public service, Stewart gave perspective to the low number.
“In most communities, that will probably run somewhere between 20 and 35 percent of the total tax bill for a municipality,” he said.
The council, which is expected to have its first hearing to consider the final millage rate on Sept. 7, must adopt a final resolution for the 2010-11 budget before Oct. 1.