Fire board sets TRIM rate and first hearing
The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District took the first official step in setting its millage rate for the 2011-12 fiscal year at Town Hall on Tuesday evening.
The Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously approved a Truth in Millage Rate (TRIM) rate at 2.6900 mils, the suggested rate from fire administration. Fire officials had established the roll back rate of 2.6919 mils after reviewing the most recent report on Beach taxable property values and working on various budget numbers at its July 5 workshop.
The fire board also unanimously approved to hold its first hearing to set a tentative millage rate at Town Hall on Friday, Sept. 16, at 5:05 p.m. The district plans to hold monthly budget meetings at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2 (although a possible cancellation of that meeting was discussed) and Tuesday, Sept. 6 to help move forward on any action deemed necessary.
A final millage rate will be established at the fire board’s second hearing. The date for the second hearing has not been officially set, but is being entertained to be at the same time and location on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Keep in mind that those yet-to-be-established rates may go lower but cannot exceed the established TRIM rate.
“The current taxable values came in July 1 and were down 4.03 percent,” said FMB Fire Chief Mike Becker before the approved motion. “That would essentially create a roll back rate of 2.6919. I’ll have to suggest that, based on the district’s economic needs and given the known variables that we have, the district is comfortable with slightly less than roll back at the TRIM.”
Becker further stated more accurate numbers would be made available going into the end of August. Thus, the tentative millage rate and final millage rate will reflect that further prognosis and “known costs.”
“We are pretty comfortable knowing that we will not exceed that level of funding,” said Becker. “The roll back or up rate is essentially that millage rate which will generate the same amount of funding that we had last year.”
The current millage rate for the local fire district is 2.5800 mils. By law, it cannot exceed 3.0 mils.
“So, we have now set the TRIM rate that will go out in the notices to the public. Hopefully, the public will understand when they see the difference between the 2.58 and the 2.69 that it is not an attempt to raise their taxes, but (an attempt) to bring the same revenue in,” said Fire Board Chairman Carol Morris.
Commissioner Betty Goodacre expressed her satisfaction with the starting place for establishing next fiscal year’s millage rate.
“I am really pleased with the 2.69 TRIM notice,” she said. ‘I didn’t think we could come that low. I thought we would have to come in someplace at 2.85.”
“Had it been higher, there would have been a ‘nay’ vote,” added Commissioner Ted Schindler.
Morris also complimented the efforts that administration has put forth before and during the budget process.
“I’m pleased with the work that the Chief and (Financial Director) Jane (Thompson) have been doing in this area,” she said
Fire board sets TRIM rate and first hearing
The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District took the first official step in setting its millage rate for the 2011-12 fiscal year at Town Hall on Tuesday evening.
The Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously approved a Truth in Millage Rate (TRIM) rate at 2.6900 mils, the suggested rate from fire administration. Fire officials had established the roll back rate of 2.6919 mils after reviewing the most recent report on Beach taxable property values and working on various budget numbers at its July 5 workshop.
The fire board also unanimously approved to hold its first hearing to set a tentative millage rate at Town Hall on Friday, Sept. 16, at 5:05 p.m. The district plans to hold monthly budget meetings at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2 (although a possible cancellation of that meeting was discussed) and Tuesday, Sept. 6 to help move forward on any action deemed necessary.
A final millage rate will be established at the fire board’s second hearing. The date for the second hearing has not been officially set, but is being entertained to be at the same time and location on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Keep in mind that those yet-to-be-established rates may go lower but cannot exceed the established TRIM rate.
“The current taxable values came in July 1 and were down 4.03 percent,” said FMB Fire Chief Mike Becker before the approved motion. “That would essentially create a roll back rate of 2.6919. I’ll have to suggest that, based on the district’s economic needs and given the known variables that we have, the district is comfortable with slightly less than roll back at the TRIM.”
Becker further stated more accurate numbers would be made available going into the end of August. Thus, the tentative millage rate and final millage rate will reflect that further prognosis and “known costs.”
“We are pretty comfortable knowing that we will not exceed that level of funding,” said Becker. “The roll back or up rate is essentially that millage rate which will generate the same amount of funding that we had last year.”
The current millage rate for the local fire district is 2.5800 mils. By law, it cannot exceed 3.0 mils.
“So, we have now set the TRIM rate that will go out in the notices to the public. Hopefully, the public will understand when they see the difference between the 2.58 and the 2.69 that it is not an attempt to raise their taxes, but (an attempt) to bring the same revenue in,” said Fire Board Chairman Carol Morris.
Commissioner Betty Goodacre expressed her satisfaction with the starting place for establishing next fiscal year’s millage rate.
“I am really pleased with the 2.69 TRIM notice,” she said. ‘I didn’t think we could come that low. I thought we would have to come in someplace at 2.85.”
“Had it been higher, there would have been a ‘nay” vote,” added Commissioner Ted Schindler.
Morris also complimented the efforts that administration has put forth before and during the budget process.
“I’m pleased with the work that the Chief and (Financial Director) Jane (Thompson) have been doing in this area,” she said.