No tax hike in sight

Winter Park and Maitland don’t plan to increase property taxes in fiscal year 2012. On Monday, both cities’ boards set a tentative millage rate identical to last year’s.

The cities will finalize the vote at public hearings in September. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Maitland

Maitland City Council voted unanimously to set the city’s operating millage rate at 3.8800, or $3.88 per $1,000 of taxable property. That rate has not changed since 2007.

“I just don’t have any appetite for a tax increase this year,” Maitland City Councilman Phil Bonus said.

Maitland projects that it will take in $7.258 million in property taxes — almost 33 percent of the total budget pie. That tax revenue is $39,000 less than last year because of further declining property values. The city doesn’t plan to do any layoffs or freeze any additional positions.

The proposed budget includes a 2 percent merit raise but a 10 percent increase in health insurance premiums. It also cuts an employee merit pay program worth $25,000.

Bonus said the city could operate on this budget with this tax rate. “You know what, I’ve heard enough,” he said. “I think we can make it without a tax increase.”

Vice Mayor Linda Frosch agreed. “It gives me heartburn to think about raising anything.”

Winter Park

Just down the road in Winter Park, the City Commission didn’t need long to decide to keep its current tax rate.

A tentative operating millage rate of 4.0923 mills was passed at Monday’s Commission meeting with a unanimous vote. With that rate residents can expect to pay $4.0923 per $1,000 in taxable value.

That millage is expected to bring in $14.1 million in revenue for the coming fiscal year, or $500,000 less than last year due to declining property values.

Commissioner Carolyn Cooper said she was happy with the current millage, crediting the city’s fiscal efficiency in making it possible to keep the current millage rate, despite lower overall tax revenues compared to last year. Cuts in city expenditures had made that possible, she said.

“I think it’s fine,” she said. “We’re not deferring any capital projects. We did what had to be done. I’m comfortable with it this year.”

She said that City Manager Randy Knight had left a buffer in the budget.

“We still have some room in there,” she said.

Mayor Ken Bradley said that the city’s concerted effort to shore up its budget in the last two years has significantly improved its financial position.

“I think the city is in much better financial shape than it was two years ago,” Bradley said. “I say that based on reserves and the initial budget I’ve seen. We’ve weathered a lot of storms.”

Garbage hike

Maitland City Council also approved a 4 percent increase to base collection and disposal fees paid to Waste Services, Inc. This will cost the city an additional $71,000. Residents will only see an 86-cent increase to their bills. The last rate increase for WSI was in 2008.

Representatives from WSI said that this increase was needed because of the rising costs of resources they use daily, such as diesel and steel. The cost of diesel has increased by more than a dollar per gallon in the past year.

No salary increase

The Council members voted unanimously against raising their own salaries. They had also waived that opportunity last year.

"I'd like to set an example for others and say no," Councilwoman Bev Reponen said. "We're fine where we are."

"But we're going to get extra garbage pickup at our house," Frosch joked.

Appointments

Paula Rue was reappointed to the Parks and Recreation advisory Board, and Lewis Earle was appointed along with her. Michael Dabby and Dale McDonald were both reappointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Birthdays and iPads

The Council celebrated Reponen's birthday with cake before the meeting began, and each was using a new iPad, an attempt by the city to save paper. Frosch said that they save a tree and a half per month with the new technology.