Maitland City Council sets tax rate, budget

The city of Maitland officially set the year’s tax rate as well as the 2019 annual budget during the City Council’s  Monday, Sept. 24, meeting.

TAX RATE

The city set the 2018 tax year’s operating millage rate at 4.3453, 7.93% more than the rolled back rate of 4.0261, and the voted debt millage rate at .3150, for a combined total millage rate of 4.6603. 

This follows a July meeting during which the City Council set the proposed operating millage rate at 5.0000 and the voted debt millage at 0.3150 and a subsequent Sept. meeting where a tentative operating millage rate was set at 4.3453 and the voted debt millage rate at 0.3150, for a total of 4.6603. 

Both motions were approved unanimously. 

THE BUDGET

The council approved a general fund budget of $26,761,000 for the 2019 fiscal year.

In this year’s budget, $14,825,000 will go to the utilized fund budget, $2,735,470 to the solid waste budget and $1,456,475 to the stormwater environmental utility budget. 

Other changes that will come with this year’s budget include a reclassification of the community programs administrator position to the recreation specialist position, the unfreezing of the deputy building official position in favor of a building inspector in community development job and an additional school resource officer in the city police department to meet school safety mandates. 

The 2019 budget for the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which totaled $1,084,725, also was approved. The budget includes funds for internal loan repayments and debt services as well as operating expenses. 

Uptown Day Care

The council tabled a request to amend a declaration of restrictions and agreement allowing a daycare.

Officials from the Uptown Maitland LLC approached council seeking early approval for a proposed single-story, 11,100-square-foot day care that would support 200 children. The location, which would have a two-story façade as well as a 5,000-square-foot playground and a 44-space parking lot, originally was proposed to the city council in 2017 and subsequently denied because of traffic concerns. The property originally was subject to a Developer’s Agreement approved in 2012 and amended in 2015 but has since expired. 

According to the city’s land development code, a child care facility only would be approved through a conditional-use process — meaning the proposal would still have to go through the traditional review process with the Planning and Zoning commission and the DRC. The Uptown Maitland officials made the unorthodox decision to approach council before starting that process. 

But council members were reticent to approve the request for a variety of reasons. 

“If we tell them to march on and give them sort of a pre-approval, we’re kind of setting them on this path,” Councilman Mike Thomas said. “When they finally come back to us after going through all the process and spending money … I’d hate to send them on this path without knowing what the neighbors think. I’d like to see the traffic numbers … see all that before a preliminary approval.”

IN OTHER NEWS

The council approved the Public Works Department to piggyback on an Osceola County contract for bulk fuel purchases for $342,000 for Fiscal Year 2019. The department’s water production/distribution division also was approved to piggyback on a contract with Volusia County to purchase water and sewer supplies for system maintenance. The city’s water treatment facilities’ staff were authorized to contract with Odyssey Manufacturing for a bulk purchase of sodium hypochlorite at $.56 per gallon. 

The city approved a amended facility use policy to require groups of six or more people to require a permit to use city facilities to prevent overuse. City documents claim unauthorized groups of adults cause more damage and wear to the city’s facilities compared to youth participants leading to the parks and facilities becoming damaged and worn out.