Library Board sets final public hearing for FY2020 budget
The Fort Myers Beach Public Library Board held the first of two public budget hearings last week with little hitch and almost no public concern raised.
The final public hearing to determine the tax rate and spending plan for Fiscal Year 2020 will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at the library at 2755 Estero Blvd.
The tax rate passed unanimously is lower than originally proposed at .3020 mills, 10% lower than last year.
One mill equals $1 per every $1,000 of a property’s assessed taxable valuation.
The council’s general concern expressed was that the difference between the original millage proposed and the new number is minimal at best and will not cost the library any major funding.
The final budget for operations has been lowered to $1,388,975.
“I don’t care about the roll back rate; I want to be able to say that we lowered taxes 10% compared to last year,” Ed Scott, board member, said.
This was generally agreed upon, but there was one takeaway that held caution.
“Keeping it too low for too long can cause shorts, so we have to make sure we aren’t costing ourselves more in the long run to save a little now,” Jan Fleming, Secretary for the board, said.
Assistant Library Director John Lukow explained that would lower tax revenue for the library by about $1,267 and reduce the reserves by the same amount.
A large portion of this budget is savings for a catastrophic event, and they expect to lower the millage more in the next year since they have no large scale projects on the book for some time.
In other business, Chair Sallie Seabury introduced Sandy Walker, who has submitted her application to the Florida governor’s office, to join the board, taking the seat left vacant by Miffie Greer who moved out of the district. The governor has not yet appointed anyone to fill the seat.