The Public Budget hearing has just concluded and in a surprising move they set next years millage rate the same as this years rate.

After a PowerPoint presentation detailing the budget proposal Commissioner Larry Jones made a motion to split the difference between last years rate and the rolback rate which would allow for additional decreases that might occur in the total taxable value and allow for a reduction in the rate if possible before the final rate was set, Commissioner Scott Brannon seconded the motion. After discussion lead by Commissioner Comander and Commissioner Cecilia Jones detailing their opposition to raising taxes - Commissioner Commander called for a vote on the motion and the motion was defeated by a 3-2 vote with Comander,Pridgen and Cecilia Jones voting against and Commissioner Larry Jones and Commissioner Brannon voting in favor of the proposed increase.

Commissioner Cecilia Jones then proposed setting the rate the same as last year and the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.

This action sets the maximum millage rate for the 2009-2010 budget. During the two upcoming public Budget hearings the millage rate can be lowered, but cannot be raised.

We will continue to analyze the budget proposal and present a WCTA analysis of the impact on services and programs in the next few days.

__________________
Thank You Walton County !
Our Hotline received 1168 calls during it's first month of operation.

I just sent Cecilia Jones a thank you email - I think that she would appreciate hearing from everyone in District 5. This was not an easy thing to do, and there will be lots of tough decisions ahead.

I disagree...she did the easy thing to do.

Sooner or later the millege rate is going to have to go up & that is political suicide.

Remember; this year's "distressed" county tax valuation is $14 billion, which we are constantly reminded is 14% lower than last year.

It is also DOUBLE what it was in 2004, and 18% above what it was in 2005. That's not ancient history. What have been the major improvements in the county government in the last 5 years that we have seen from this doubling of income? We have seen some long-needed buildings built, but other than that, everything is about the same. Well, now that the buildings are built, let's see if we can't get by on, say, twice what we did in 2005. I'd be DELIGHTED if my current salary was twice what it was 4 years ago.

WCTA, I have been trying to dig up the totals on BCC budget since 2003 and have been coming up blank. Do you have them handy?

Originally Posted by beachFool
I disagree...she did the easy thing to do.

Sooner or later the millege rate is going to have to go up & that is political suicide.

You really can't please everybody. It doesn't matter what the BCC does somebody is upset.

Well we must get the size of government right or we will end up like California with a 28 billion dollar budget shortfall issuing IOU's.

__________________
Thank You Walton County !
Our Hotline received 1168 calls during it's first month of operation.

liberals. They sure are getting easy to spot though.

__________________

Labels

Whew, good thing fuel prices, materials, and insurance rates haven't gone up since 2004. Good thing the, remaining, county employees dollar goes just as far as 2004.

Edit: Lord knows with the Census coming that the population hasn't grown either.

/sarcasm off/

__________________

CPI+Population growth added to the 2003 base rate is perfectable acceptable. Not sure, but I think you would have to whack another 20% off the budget to get there. But I am glad to use your numbers.

__________________

We can't print Obama bucks here. (Sarcasm off)

By the way they aren't making what they were making in 2004.

Use your influence and get us a Bailout. Oh darn we would be the ones having to pay that back.
Posted via Mobile Device

With alzheimer's and at your age I wouldn't worry about paying it back. Actually right now I'm betting we're paying your Social Security check and Medicare. I'm pretty sure your Aricept is covered.

You're Welcome

__________________

I think that most of the tax has went to public safety and roads over the last few years. I remember when the whole county but DFS was all volunteer fire departments to include SOWAL. and you could go all day and not see the only deputy assigned to SOWAL. I do agree that if the county keeps cutting there will be a short fall in the emergancy services. It was the residents who did not protest the county geting rid of all the volunteer firefighters but 2 departments and putting understaffed fire stations in service in north walton (1 person to a fire truck).

Yes it comes the 3rd Wednesday of every month. I paid for the right to draw that for more years than you are old.

I assure you that I cannot live on that check - it won't even come close to paying my property taxes.

No I would have to live another 79 years to payback my share of the debt created since January. Sadly my grandchildrens children will still be paying that debt.

Your welcome !

You aged 7 years pretty quick, must be the sun downers.

__________________

Don't understand why you say I'm aging any differently than you. The 79 years is what i heard it would take to payoff the debt created since January.

Check your thought process.
Posted via Mobile Device

SWGB, I said that the valuation is DOUBLE what it was in 2004. DOUBLE. You know, twice as much.

Have all of those things DOUBLED since 2004? Are there twice as many people now? Twice as many employees, who pay twice as much for groceries?

Does anyone know how this may affect the size of our county workforce/ service? With the possibility of fewer employees the services may be cut. I was looking at the cuts in FTE's in the budget and am curious if that included the millage as recently adopted? If not, how many of our employees will this be affecting. If this is going to be a big cut, I hope it is more than the approx $100 I saved on the properties. Maybe those Commissioners who bill us for travel from home to work will start returning the money. I wonder if those County employees realize how large a voter block they are, I bet they could really impact an election.

According to the powerpoint, we are going to be 7.4 million short over last year. As I read it a .550 increase would have brought in the same monies.

Layoffs are already happening. And where there are no layoffs they are abolishing positions as attrition occurs. I hate to see people lose their jobs also. But when did it become my responsibility to pay more to government so that people could continue to work, other than GM, the banks, insurance companies, social security? So now I have to pay just a little bit more in property taxes so that all the current county employees can keep their jobs? Where does it end?

__________________

When it affects the time it takes for someone to show up at your house because you have a medical emergency or fire, or the county road you live on gets washed out because of a natural diaster or you can't get your public records request in a timely manner or get it for free even if its in PDF format because those that manage these department are watching their employees time/ cost, it will matter. As we pay for the increase in indigent care because people are losing there jobs it will cost us more, when we cut services to the neediest in our communities then it will cost us more, so much for compassionate conservative. Wish Larry Jones and Scot Brannon had prevailed, disappointed in Sara Comander, Keneth Pridgen and Celcia Jones.

BTW, last year I saved less than $120 dollars on my properties, man I will really be pissed if there are any layoff and I don't save a lot more than that. Sorry County employees its all about my wallet, sucks that some of you will be unemployed. Maybe you can sit out some place and see if your former employers can look you in the eye as they walk by.

Robert these are our friends and neighbors, these are the folks who shop our businesses. your business, these are the kids are kids go to school with. These folks have mortgages and debts they owe that will affect our county because they can no longer pay for them. These are not the ones who are turning their house back over to the bank because they aren't worth as much as they were when they bought them like some are. No these are our neighbors, friends and yes family. Not replacing employees when it is through attrition I have less concern than laying off folks in these times. As for the auto makers there are still layoffs and shut downs and job losses, to think that the bailout saved all those jobs is BS, all it did was prevent approx 3 million auto workers and associated employment from being out of work at one time. It took us a lot longer that the last 140 some odd days to get us in this position and it will take a lot longer to get out of it. We can do more locally than we can nationally or state wide.

You must know something I do not, because I have yet to hear that emergency services were being cut. (But that is the first thing they always tell union supporters to say at union school).

Yes we needed more tax dollars to provide extraordinary benefits to government workers. I agree, it should be perfectly acceptable for government workers to make twice what non-government workers make in a community. And we need more parks, and those need to be lit up at night, with running water and full restroom facilities. And someone has to pay for the guy to ride up and down the bike path at 35/hr to make sure the sprinklers are not getting anyone wet. And where would we be without 44 million dollar high schools to educate 900 students. We have not been able to get half of them to read in the last 8 years so I am sure that was money well spent. And the 500 dollar new Blackberry we bought for the public works employee last Wednesday, then we laid him off on Thursday. And we need to buy more shirts from Land's End and get our logos put on them, those things work really well at keeping the hurricanes away. And everyone needs to go to Washington DC, at least twice a year, or maybe more, so we can get 331 four laned, we have gotten so far over the last five years with that tactic, we do not need to stop now.

Curious though, do you work for the government?

__________________

According to the PowerPoint, they are planning on eliminating 10 positions, out of 595. That's 1.6%.

Some of those appear to be open, unfunded positions.

Please consider how much the BCC budget has grown in the last 5 years before you consider these small cuts as doom and gloom. It's just the reality of the economic situation - we are not only going to have to deal with a reduction in property values, but an increase in unpaid property taxes.

Can you provide some documentation for your rant

Robert, have you not looked at the power point, 2009 they were down 21 postions I think these are 911/ dispatched which were picked up by WCSO and for 2010 they have 3 unfunded and 1 eliminated position. There you go again, when confronted you throw out a what I suppose I am to think is a slam. Proud UNION Member here. First I am opposing all layoff, if they are through attrition and and they are not filling open positions I can't and won't argue, but if they are laying off then it would affect services even more. FYI maybe Robert you should look at the number of folks NFPA says should be on scene to fight a fire. The State of Florida says unless life is endangered you should have a 2 in 2 out rule at a minimum. Talk to Chief Rivers, oh never mind its all about the money. As for my employment, you know I do. I work for 2 departments, one part-time and the other full time. Maybe those things you have mentioned should be those things we cut instead of the folks. I am more than willing to stop improving parks and buying cheaper uniforms, and cutting trips and the such. Didn't you work for the county once? I guess to disagree with you, seems to alway bring an attempt at an attack by you. Sorry that my comments offend you.

Here4Good between 2009 and 2010 my count in positions lost whether thru attrtion, layoff or unfunded is 42.5 positions. I am also unsure how many more positions are going to be eliminated because we will not have the same money as last year. I will admit I am only reading what it says and I could definitiely not be interpeting it the same way you are. Although WCTA did say after the recent vote they would be reviewing the impact, so maybe there are going to be additional cuts to services and personnel.

Unless the property is not mortgaged, it would seem the Bank would ensure the taxes are paid to prevent the County from selling their property. I would be curious as to how many properties are delinquent and for how long. I think Wrobert brought up something about it in another thread. These small cuts as you call them are peoples lives we are talking about. How much money did you save last year and did it make a tremendous difference in your life?

The property can't be sold for taxes if there is a mortgage. The county sells tax certificates on past due taxes, which basically gives you the right to queue up for your money when the property is sold. This year, the number of tax certs was staggering, and they did not all sell. Check the uncollected property tax numbers that the tax collector can provide - they are very up front about it.

It's not about the money I saved; it's about the prospect of the valuations being even lower next year, and the county needing to be ready for that. It's arrogant for the county to just up the millage, because they can, when they need more money. I KNOW these are people's lives we are talking about. In my very, very small neighborhood, many people lost their jobs last year, others are looking at reduced income because of investment returns, and nobody is better off than they were last year. We are all economizing, some of us severely (I am talking about foregoing health insurance and rehoming their pets, not cutting back on dinners at Caliza).

SWFD Ad Valorm Taxes

1998 $ 1,969,916.00
1999 $ 2,354,274.00
2000 $ 2,655,299.00
2001 $ 3,129,681.00
2002 $ 3,745,893.00
2003 $ 4,576,041.00
2004 $ 5,845,037.00
2005 $ 9,664,162.00
2006 $ 12,387,109.00


Between 1998 and 2006 SWFD

Ad Valorem Taxes Increased By +528.18 %

Population Growth +47.69%

Yes they built new stations upgraded their equipment and improved their employee compensation and benefits and improved their service level.

Between 2004 and 2006 their revenues from ad valorem revenue increase by 119.5%.

No one can sustain those levels of increase in a down economy. During those times the revenues we highly inflated due to the "balloon" in values that were driven by speculation.

The WCTA has never promoted a reduction in the level of service for Emergency Services, just a containment of costs for recurring expenses. We reminded those who grew the recurring expenses in proportion to the growth in revenues that it would one day end. That day has arrived.

__________________
Thank You Walton County !
Our Hotline received 1168 calls during it's first month of operation.

As of the end of May, the Tax Collector was reporting 8.8% of the 2008 property taxes are still unpaid.

WCTA I have been talking about the County budget. The services provided by SWFD is something I pay for as well, gladly.

BCC Property Tax Collections

1998 $ 19,359,386.00
1999 $ 22,413.322.00
2000 $ 25,348,536.00
2001 $ 24,721,551.00
2002 $ 29,032,863.00
2003 $ 34,469,108.00
2004 $ 41,656,251.00
2005 $ 55,685,493.00
2006 $ 61,822,498.00

Between 1998 and 2006 BCC Ad valoreum Taxe Revenues Increased +171.27 %

Population Growth +47.69%

Quite a comparison

__________________
Thank You Walton County !
Our Hotline received 1168 calls during it's first month of operation.

Sounds as though increased demand for services for a county that maybe considered rural that had a real estate boom because of it location, I wonder what Counties that don't have the area we have but still have to meet the needs of its citizens. Holmes, Jackson, Washinton counties come to mind. Think about Husfelt, Supt of Schools in Bay said he can justify a tax increase for the schools because he does not want to lay anyone else off obviously even he who ran on trimming the fat can't see himself from cutting off an arm. What was the ad valroem increases for each of those years? Has the level of service increased? Are we receiving more services for the increased amount we are paying? I think these will be the questions answered after we see the decreased services. Based on the power point BCC Budget, with the decrease in ad valorem of $7.4 million where do you suggest the cuts be made? Even I realize that anything I say here is made moot because the rate has been set, but at this point I have had my opportunity to get on my box and say my piece. In the end we may disagree but I still respect your right to your opinion.

With all due respect, sometimes he doesn't have any. Other times, not so much, once in a while, lots.

__________________
Speak out freely...Hold to the truth...Question boldly.

I always try to factor in the time of day on those posts.

I can.

__________________

Then why are you guys not up there telling them to get more firefighters hired because the situation they have is unsafe?

I guess I just do not understand the immediate response to budget cuts is that emergency services are going to be cut. I do not want to see us have less public safety personnel, teachers, or anyone for that matter. I want them to quit wasting money and doing what I consider silly stuff with it. If they stopped all of that, and we need to raise taxes to keep our level of protection the same, then let us raise taxes. But do not ask for more money until the inefficiency is under control.

__________________

You know it is admirable to not want to lay off a teacher. But if you have 1000 fewer students to teach, and you get paid per student to teach them, how can you justify keeping all those teachers?

Keeping in mind as you keep those teachers your future pension costs are going up, requiring an ever increasing amount of your budget, making it even harder to do the job without raising taxes the next year.

The government is GM on steroids.

__________________

You said another 79 years, implying that you are currently 79 years old. Just a month ago you were 72.

Perhaps Bob and Bob should keep notes on your age so these little errors will stop popping up.

__________________

Sometimes I wonder who y'all think I really am...

__________________

Seeing as though you want to be a grammar teacher let me rephrase it this way "It is projected to take 79 years to pay off the debt created since January."

I am still 72 years old.
Posted via Mobile Device

The funny part is that you aren't even 2 years old yet according to your join date. Isn't that when you were created?

__________________

There were around 9400 parcels with unpaid taxes this year. People who chose not to or could not afford property taxes. According to Fed reports Walton county leads the panhandle and most Florida counties in mortages that are more than 90 days past due. That number went up 4.15% in the forth quarter of 08 alone and are now almost 10%, about 1 out of every 10 residential mortgages in the county.

That is on top of the thousands of foreclosed properties since 2006 and thousands of short sale properties and thousands of sold properties where individuals absorbed millions of $$$ of wealth destruction.

Major condo developments along 30-A as well as 1000's of lots in development order approved "neighborhoods" are now bank owned.

Business revenues are down at least 20% according to Dept. of Revenue.

Maybe those who raise taxes do not know any of these property owners or business people.

An eye-opening story on this very issue was just posted by our local paper, describing how the six main local government entities in the Tampa Bay area increased their spending dramatically during the boom.

SoWal should get some allowances for population growth, of course, as well as infrastructure and building costs -- so it is harder to target a fair budget because SoWal is a quite different place than it was 10 years ago. But dramatic spending increases was a statewide disease.

It's not totally applicable, but an interesting read:

How bay area governments blew the housing bubble - St. Petersburg Times

__________________
Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

Just curious, do you happen to know the number of primary residence vs second homes, homesteaded vs non homesteaded? Also wonder if short selling or returning the property to the bank was due to the value decreased.

State Dept. of Revenue/Property appraiser should have a compilation of data for foreclosed properties being homesteaded or not. Sorry I don't know.

loss of value, ridiculous purchase prices, resets on adjustable rate mortgages, high insurances and taxes, loss of income, lack of personal responsibility, being broke, etc. probably all contibute to an individual walking away and letting a bank agree to a short sale. ???? Anyway it's the old lose lose situation.

I just think its a personal responsibility issue. I can afford what I bought and sometimes it can be tough but I am doing what I can to honor my obligations, it just disappoints me that many homes are second homes. My mom lives in St Pete area and she shared a story about a neighbor buying a property and then when she lost $100k in value she just allowed it to be foreclosed on. Not that she couldn't afford it she just couldn't flip it at a profit.

Does anyone ever remember what is posted on this board? A good month ago, Ronnie Bell addressed the SWCC and said he had be told in no uncertain terms not to increase the millage for the county this year. To work it out and find cuts elsewhere. The county did just that. Some need to start giving them credit for looking for solutions other than raising taxes and keeping their word, something extremely rare in today's governments.

__________________
Speak out freely...Hold to the truth...Question boldly.

[quote=WCTA;584971]SWFD Ad Valorm Taxes

1998 $ 1,969,916.00
1999 $ 2,354,274.00
2000 $ 2,655,299.00
2001 $ 3,129,681.00
2002 $ 3,745,893.00
2003 $ 4,576,041.00
2004 $ 5,845,037.00
2005 $ 9,664,162.00
2006 $ 12,387,109.00

Between 1998 and 2006 SWFD

Ad Valorem Taxes Increased By +528.18 %










Those numbers are stagering. Those guys in 1998 who could deliver the same services to the county for 10 million less $$$ were true heros. Using those numbers and adding a 50% increase for population growth today's SWFD should be able to deliver the same services for $3 million. I would be willing to listen to their request for every $$$ over that amount.
And when you look at the BCC $30,000,000 ought to be enough to deliver their same level of service.

When it comes to the SWFD, the population increase is not the relevant figure. More relevant would be the increase in the number of dwelling units, the summer occupancy figures, the number of calls they answer annually, the increase in traffic crashes, commercial fire alarm calls, the addition of beach flags and life guards, etc. Figures that reflect the actual increase in level of required services are the figures that should be looked at. Because SoWal is a beach community with a large transient population, the percentage increase of permanent population does not adequately reflect the increased demand for SWFD services.
And isn't that population figure increase countywide? If so, that makes it even more meaningless when considering SWFD's budget needs.
I am in no way suggesting we should give SWFD or any other taxing entity a pass, but if we are going to look at their budgets, let's look with an open mind and get all the facts first.

Absolutely agree with you. And most of all getting all the facts and basing their budget on cost and needs and not starting with the $$$ amount of advalorem tax revenue. I think it is safe to say that cost and needs should not have gone up 500%.+++

First the figures shown are not budget figures, they are property tax revenues. The SWFD has other sources of revenue such as a 600,000+ annual payment from the BCC for providing Emergency services, revenues from individuals billed for medical transport and they recovery of cost of medical services and supplies, grants and of course the life guard services are a contract service where the funding is provided by the TDC. They have also charged impact fees for new construction.

During the time span covered by the growth in property tax revenues they added new fire stations and equipment and they improved the compensation and benefits for their employee's.

The WCTA has never advocated a reduction in the quality of services provided, but we have advocated that the rates of revenue growth were not sustainable and that would lead to a "major adjustment" when the next bust cycle occurred.

__________________
Thank You Walton County !
Our Hotline received 1168 calls during it's first month of operation.

Since part of the past expenditures were for equipment, infrastructure etc. shouldn't we able to reduce future budgets w/o too much trouble?

__________________
The enemy is ignorance.