MILTON — For the first time in six years, property values in Santa Rosa County have gone up slightly and will reverse the trend of decreasing budgets.
County Administrator Hunter Walker has submitted a proposed $99.48 million spending plan for fiscal 2013-14, a $521,763 increase from this year’s budget.
“We’ve seen a leveling out and a slight increase (in property values),” Property Appraiser Greg Brown said. “The total value of the county has gone up about 2 percent.”
Read a copy of the budget report. >>
County commissioners will host two public workshops to discuss the proposed budget with department heads and constitutional officers next week. The constitutional officers’ workshop will be at 9 a.m. next Tuesday and will be followed by the department heads’ workshop at 1:30 p.m.
The final budget and property tax rate will be approved after two public hearings scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 3 and 16. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
“As always, this proposed or tentative budget is a work in progress,” Walker wrote in his budget report. “Budget workshops have been scheduled for the Board of Commissioners to review in detail the proposed budget and ensure that the programs, initiatives, and funding levels are congruent with its goals, objectives and policies. These will be even more important than usual, given that the proposed budget includes again reductions which may or may not be aligned with Board priorities or policies.”
The largest budget increases are related to higher employee health insurance premiums and higher state-mandated contributions to the Florida Retirement System for all employees.
The proposed budget keeps the county’s current tax rate of 6.0953 mils.
Some of the constitutional officers requested funding for cost of living and merit pay increases, which have been suspended for the past seven years. However, Walker did not include those requests in his preliminary budget.
He stated in his report that he did agree with the need for the salary adjustments. To fund all salary increases would cost the county an additional $3.1 million, which Walker stated the county could do by raising the millage rate to 6.3297. There likely will be discussion on employee raises at next week’s workshops.
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.