CC Minutes 07/26/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CASSI;LBI;RRY CITY COMMISSION Minutes of July 26, 2010 -Regular Meeting Page 4 of 14 Audience Participation: The following individuals came forward and addressed the Tentative Tax Rate for Fiscal Year 2010/2011: 1) Mr. Ed Mathieu, 405 Misty Oaks Run, spoke in opposition to raising the millage rate, and voiced concerns regarding the street light assessment and employee salaries. Mr. Matthieu stated he felt that beautification and other non-critical projects needed to be placed on hold at this time due to the current economic conditions. 2. Ms. Kathy Hale, 325 Southcot Road, spoke in opposition to raising the millage rate and voiced concerns regarding recent staff reductions and inquired how many new positions had been created in the past five years. Ms. Hale further stated that the City Commission should look closer at four day work weeks and employee salaries. 3) Mr. Craig Tull, 420 Ranch Trail, voiced concerns regarding raising the millage rate. Mr. Tull stated the City needed to be more conservative and fiscally responsible by looking closely at the long term effects before undel•taking some projects. 4) Mr. John Casselberly, 700 South Lost Lake Lane, reiterated his concerns regarding double taxation issues with duplicate selvices such as law enforcement that are not provided at the same level to city residents as unincorporated county residents. 5) MI•. Alva "Ed" Bowman, 286 Lake Griffin Circle, spoke in opposition to raising the millage rate. Mr. Bowman stated beautification projects needed to be placed on hold in ordel• for essential services to be performed and to maintain the City as it is today. Ml•. Bowman further stated employee salaries needed to be addressed. Discussion: Discussion ensued regarding the basis for Budget Workshop consensus to look at setting the tentative tax rate at 5.9990 mills. It was clarified that it was not necessarily to go all the way up to that rate, but to have the flexibility to incrementally raise the millage if staff brought back specific urgent community investment projects like street resurfacing and economic development, with restrictions on the additional funds that they could not be utilized for operating costs or salaries. It was further c1al7fied that the City Commission had the ability to lower the millage rate at the September public hearings, but they could not exceed the adopted tentative tax rate. The City Manager stated staff was going to bring back those specific identified projects for consideration by the City Commission prior to the September budget public hearings, elaborating that staff intended to bring a phased approach for the entire City to address deferred infrastructure maintenance. issues, which included looking at possible matching fund availability for those specific projects. Further discussion ensued regarding the current economic conditions and the financial forecasts for the next few years, and the need to prepare for fuuther declines in revenLies by looking at the possibility of four day work weeks and employee salaries in order to achieve long term sustainability of the community. Colmnissiou consensus in light of the current and forecasted economic conditions, was to set the tentative tax rate at the current rate of 5.45 mills. MOTION: Vice Mayor Solomon moved to set the tentative tax millage rate for Fiscal Year 2011 at 5.450 mills, pursuant to the "TRIM" legislation at 5.450 mills. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Miller. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote 5 - 0.