County staff looking for savings, revenues

SEAN KINNEY

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Following a detailed budget discussion on July 24, Monroe County staff will work through “summer sessions” to refine the fiscal year 2014-15 spending plan ahead of adoption.

County Administrator Roman Gastesi said his staff would “find some savings or extra revenues,” as they review line item expenditures.

Based on the proposed budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, the county plans to spend $441,711,639, which is a 6 percent, $25 million increase over the current year’s $416 million budget.

Gastesi has proposed a tax increase of 3 percent above rollback, which is the tax rate that would raise the same amount of revenue as in the current budget cycle.

The current county property tax rate is $4.02 per $1,000 of assessed home value, according to budget documents.

The proposed property tax rate is $3.9 per $1,000 of assessed home value, which results in a small tax bill increase based on 6.98 percent year-over-year growth in countywide property tax values.

The proposed millage rate is projected to raise $77.1 million, an increase of $1.8 million.

The remainder of the county budget comes from fees for marriage licenses, building permits and the like, plus sales and gas tax income plus state funding.

Gastesi told commissioners the infrastructure sales tax is slated to raise $31.9 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year.

“All that traffic we see, the restaurants full, the stores full, that’s reflected here.”

Gastesi also pitched various financial schemes to offer raises to Monroe County employees and to constitutional office employees, like the staffs of the Monroe County Clerk of the Court’s Office, for instance.

Raises of 3.5 percent for constitutional employees will cost $1.2 million.

Gastesi suggested giving 2 percent raises to all employees, constitutional and county, excluding unionized employees, which would cost $993,000, making it cheaper and more inclusive.

A major topic of discussion was a substantial funding increase requested by the Monroe County Health Department to continue and expand an immunization program.

In the current fiscal year the Health Department is slated to receive $939,000 in county revenue. Department Administrator Bob Eadie asked for $1.5 million going forward.

Specifically, the immunizations are for HPV (human papillomavirus), the most common sexually transmitted disease. HPV has been linked to cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis and anus, among others.

“There are numerous cancers that are being prevented,” Eadie said. “I don’t know what the price on that is.”

In response to questions from Commissioner Danny Kolhage, Eadie said that the current level of funding would not allow an expansion of the immunization program.

“We’ll find a way to continue it as much as we can,” Eadie said. “We’ll continue our immunization program at the level we’re funded. To continue to expand our program, we’d like the additional funding.”

Commissioners were critical of the lack of side-by-side budgets comparing the current year with the requested increases.

Eadie said part of the increase was to cover $300,000 in worker’s compensation claims that would be paid out by the state of Florida through an insurance policy but the cost then will be passed back to the Monroe County Health Department.

“What’s the point of having insurance if you have to pay for it anyway?” Commissioner Heather Carruthers asked. “That’s not insurance.”

The discussion resulted in a compromised potential increase of $200,000.

There are three public budget hearings in September, set for Sept. 3 in Key Largo, Sept. 8 in Marathon and Sept. 11 at the Harvey Government Center on White Street in Key West.

 

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