Sep 07, 2021 City Commission Budget Hearing

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:03]

>> I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

THIS SPECIAL BUDGET HEARING FOR THE CITY OF FT. PIERCE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

>> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH

LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >> CALL THE ROLL PLEASE.

[4. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Any person who wishes to comment on any subject may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less, as directed by the Mayor, as this section of the Agenda is limited to fifteen minutes. The City Commission will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Mayor, Commissioners, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.]

>> MICROPHONE CLOSER. >> SURE.

SEEING NO ONE I WILL CLOSE. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

>> I'M FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY.

2203 SOUTH INDIAN RIVER DRIVE FT. PIERCE.

I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I BROUGHT THIS PUT THIS BOOK TOGETHER AND ITS A FOLDER ANIMAL UP FOR ADOPTION AT ANIMAL SHELTER. WE WERE BLESSED TO GET A SUBSTANTIAL DONATION AND WE'RE USING THAT MONEY TO SPONSOR ADOPTION FEES. THIS BOOK IS FULL OF DOGS AND CATS AND -- BY THE ONCE THAT ARE SPONSORED THERE'S HEARTS. I HOPE WE CAN LEAVE THIS IN THE LOBBY. I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING TO PROMOTE ADOPTIONS AT THE SHELTER.

>> IS THAT OKAY? >> MR. MIMS, WILL THAT BE APPROPRIATE IN THE LIBRARY? DO YOU HAVE A GOOD PLACE.

>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT YET.

I HAVEN'T SEEN IT. .

>> HE WILL REVIEW THAT. >> LOOK AT THE HEARTS.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? OKAY. THAT'S ALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WE WILL MOVE ON. NOW IS TIME FOR MAYOR

[5. NEW BUSINESS]

CITY OF FT. PIERCE PROPOSING MILLAGE RATE 6.90 AND THE RAID XOOETS THE ROLL BACK RATE OF 6.5954.

BY 4.62%. MAYOR, I WILL ASK MISS MORRIS NOW. WILL YOU GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET, PLEASE.

>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

I WILL GIVE YOU A SHORT BRIEF SYNAPSIS OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.

FIRST AS YOU SAID OUR GENERAL BUDGET WE'RE PROPOSING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 IS 47,513,496.

IT'S THE 4,189,622 INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 2021.

AND I KNOW IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A LARGE NUMBER.

I WOULD LIKE FOR OUR CITIZENS TO BE REMINDED THAT LAST YEAR WE DECREASED OUR BUDGET QUITE A BIT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE COVID-19.

SO WE DID GO IN. WE DECREASED ALL OF OUR TAX-BASED REVENUE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR ADVALOREM TAX DOLLAR AND STATE-FUNDED REVENUE AND CHARGES FOR SERVICES. WE DECREASED THE BUDGET QUITE A BIT TO ADJUST FOR THAT.

AND BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS BACK UP AND RUNNING, NOW WE'VE GONE IN AND HAD TO ADJUST THOSE REVENUE BASES AND EXPENDITURES BASED ON THAT.

WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE OF 4.1 MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR

BUDGET. >> THE HIGHLIGHT WE ARE SEEING OUR TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUES -- IT'S INCREASED 2.9 MILLION OR 8.6% INCREASE AND BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCE SUCH A LARGE INCREASE WE ARE PROPOSING NO CHANGE TO THE MILLAGE RATE. WE COULD NOT DECREASE THE MILLAGE RATE BECAUSE OF AGAIN TRYING TO RECOUP IS REVENUE AS WELL AS THE EXPENDITURE INCREASE.

EVEN THOUGH WE DECREASED OUR REVENUE LAST YEAR THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS DID NOT DECREASE AND SO TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT, WE ARE PROPOSING NO INCREASE TO THE MILLAGE RATE AND I WILL GO AND SHOW FURTHER SOME OF THE OTHER INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT'S MAKING --

>> IT'S BILLION. >> WHAT DID I SAY?

>> MILLION. >> YOU GOT TO RAISE YOUR

SIGHTS A LITTLE BIT. >> IN WASHINGTON THEY ARE TALKING IN TRILLIONS. WE NEED TO GET UP TO

BILLIONS. >> YES.

2.9 BILLION. >> THANK YOU.

AD VALOREM, 19,214,138 FOR INCREASE 1.3 MILLION.

[00:05:05]

WE'RE INCREASING THE INFRASTRUCTURE SALES TAX REVENUE BY 400,000 BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING -- WE WERE BUDGETING 1.5. WE'RE RECEIVING 1.85 AND 1.9. WE WILL BUDGET TO GET THE 1.9 MILLION. WE'RE CONTINUING TO RESTRICT $600,000 THAT WE TOLD THE CITIZENS THAT WE COULD DO FOR THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

THIS IS THE LAST FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT -- WE PAY 400 FOR CAPITAL AND THEN 200 FOR THE LOAN THAT WE TOOK OUT FROM OUR SPECIAL REVENUE.

THIS IS THE LAST YEAR FISCAL YEAR FOR THAT.

NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF $400,000 BEING UTILIZED FOR IN CAPITAL THE ENTIRE $600,000 CAN BE USED FOR

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES. >>

>> THERE'S ONE TIME REVENUE INFUSION THAT'S FROM OUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS. AND THOSE ARE -- THAT'S TO BE UTILIZED FOR EXPENDITURES THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THIS FISCAL -- NEXT FISCAL YEAR COMING UP.

THE MAIN BEING THE WAGE INCREASES THAT WE HAVE FOR ALLOWABLE POSITIONS THAT'S OUR POLICE, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OUR PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES.

ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE THERE'S 11 POSITIONS ADDED.

AND YOU WILL SEE ONE IN THE CITY CLERK.

ONE IN THE IT DIVISION. TWO PART TIMES IN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT. SIX IN OUR POLICE DIVISION AND ONE IN PUBLIC WORKS. THERE'S THE COST OF LIVING CREASE FOR ALL OUR BARGAIN AND NONBARGAINING EMPLOYEES THAT'S AT 690,000 AND THAT DOES INCLUDE THE BENEFIT COST FOR THOSE AS WELL. AND FOR OUR SWORN OFFICERS WE'RE GOING TO WE PROPOSE TO FUND THE CURRENT STEP PLAN THAT'S IN PLACE. AND THAT COST IS 385.

OUR POLICE BUDGET IS 33% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND THEIR TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET IS 82% OF OUR AD VALOREM TAX REVENUE. OPERATING BUDGET FOR ALL DEPARTMENT WERE EVALUATED AS NEEDED.TEMS WERE ADJUSTE- THERE'S A AN INCREASE IN OPERATING BUDGET FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS. THIS THE OUR FOURTH YEAR WITH NO TRANSFER TO OUR FPRA FUND.

AND THE FPRA IS DOING A TRANSFER OF 500,000 TO GENERAL TO HELP PAY DOWN THE DEBT.

IT IS AT 7 WITH THIS 500,000 INFUSION OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR IT WILL BE ABOUT $7 MILLION.

I THINK THAT'S VERY ADMIRAL THAT WE FROM 9 MILLION DOWN TO 7. WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

THERE'S DECREASE IN OUR DEBT SERVICE COST AS WELL.

SO I WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

>> ANY QUESTIONS OF MISS MORRIS?

>> I HAVE JUST ONE COMMENT. THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A SALES TAX FAIRNESS BILL IN -- I THINK IT WENT INTO EFFECT IN JULY, WHICH I THINK IT MEANS THAT -- WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ONLINE SALES IN FLORIDA AND SO YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT WE MIGHT GET SOME PLUS FUNDS

FOR THAT. >> YEAH.

WE MIGHT. >> WE MIGHT.

>> WE'LL SEE. >> WE'LL SEE.

>> YOU DIDN'T BUDGET FOR IT. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE

PURCHASING THINGS ONLINE. >> IF EVERYBODY OBEYS THE LAW WE MAY HAVE AN INCREASE. WE SHOULD SEE A SMALL BUMP.

>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTION. I WILL ASK THE CLERK TO READ

THE AGENDA ITEM. >> NEXT PUBLIC HEARING ON

[6. PUBLIC HEARING]

>> THIS SAY PUBLIC HEARING ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE PLEASE COME FORWARD.

>> SEEING NO ONE I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND ARE THERE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSED 21-22 BUDGET? SEEING NO AMENDMENTS, TO THE BUDGET, THERE'S NO NEED TO RECOMPUTE THE PROPOSED

[00:10:03]

0? >> MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

>> SECOND. MOTION AND IS SECOND.

CALL THE ROLL PLEASE.

>> NEXT WE NEED ADOPTION OF THE TENTATIVE 2021-22

GENERAL FUND BUDGET. >> WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT

THAT BUDGET. >> SO WE HAD THE PRESENTATION. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT

THE 21-22 BUDGET? >> MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

>> SECOND. >> MADAM CLERK DO YOU NEED TO READ ANYTHING OR CAN WE JUST VOTE?

>> WE CAN VOTE. >> CALL THE ROLL PLEASE.

[7. ANNOUNCEMENT]

ONCE THAT IS CONCLUDED WE'LL CALK BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AND CONTINUE.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THE BUDGET HEARING AND THE BUDGET ADOPTION ORDINANCES MUST OCCUR AFTER 5:05. EVERYBODY THOUGH WE GET TO IT AFTER 5:05. THE MEETING HAS TO BE

DOCKETED FOR AFTER 5:00. >> I THINK WE CAN HANDLE

THAT. >> THAT'S WHAT WE DID LAST

YEAR. >> OKAY.

WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYONE NEEDS TO SAY.

MR. MIMS I DIDN'T CALL ON YOU.

ANYTHING TO ADD? >> NO.

>> SHALL WE ADJOURN.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.