HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-09-25 - City Commission Budget Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY or TAMARAC
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
BUDGET PUBLIC BEARING
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1990
CALL To ORDER: Mayor Abramowitz called this meeting
Tuesday, September 25, 1990 at 7:00 P.M. in the Council
MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Abramowitz called for
the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a Moment of Silent Meditation for
the service men and women overseas.
Mayor Norman Abramowitz
Vice Mayor Bruce Hoffman
Councilman Dr. H. Larry Bender
Councilman Henry Schumann
ARSENT ANT?_. FXWL1gFJLL
Councilman Henry Rohr
AL%JQ PEZIENT
John P. Kelly,
Alan Ruf, City
Carol A. Evans,
Karen Jackson,
City Manager
Attorney
City Clerk
Secretary
1. of percentage increase in proposed millage rate over
the rolled -back rate necessary to fund the Budget for Fiscal Year
1990/91 and the specific purposes for which ad valorem tax
revenues are being increased.
ANNOUNCEMENT was made of an increase of 13.93% over last year's budget.
City Manager Kelly said Council must announce the percentage of
the rolled -back rate which is 13.93% over last year's, counting
the new evaluation. He said it is 12.05% more than the property
tax rate paid last year but, because of the evaluations of many
homes have gone up, that explains the discrepancy. He said
Council held a workshop to review and to make some cuts in the
budget. He said the percentage roll -back will lower in the
subsequent items. He said it is required to be placed on the
agenda the way it is listed. He said it will seem out of
sequence, but is not.
City Manager Kelly said the percentage increase is 13.93%. He
said the specific purposes for the increase include: 1) Increases
in insurance costs which initially was a 45 -- 50% increase this
year and the final amount will be closer to a 25% increase, 2)
Additional personnel in the Public Works Department to clean the
median strips, mow the lawns and maintain the canals, 3) Addition
of an internal auditor, who will review all accounts the City
deals with, review the individual departments for efficiency and
look for new and additional revenue sources for the City.
2. ZIMLIC BEARING on the final millage rate for Fiscal Year
1990/91.
The final millage rate is 4.5818 and the public hearing was held.
City Manager Kelly said the millage rate based on the 13.93% is
4.6099. He said this will be reduced when Council takes final
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action on the budget cuts made at the workshop. He said when
Council held the workshop, they made decisions of what they could
do, but by law, the final action must be made at a Public Hearing.
Mayor Abramowitz opened and closed the Public Hearing with no
response.
EDITOR'S -NOTE: The final millage rate is 4.5818.
i
3. 2PAL=C "A�U;Nro on the final Budget for Fiscal Year 1990/91.
4XJgPR-ids or APTXON:
Public Hearing was held. Council reduced by 50% the amount of money
allocated for new streetlights for a total of $25,000. They also
reduced the City Attorney's budget by $7,500 allocated for Deferred
Compensation and $3,600 which was allocated for a car allowance. This
was a grand total reduction of $36,100 in the budget for a total of
$37,069,580 with a millage rate of 4.5818. 1
* V/M Hoffman MOVED to REDUCE the allocation for new street lights
* by $25,000.00, SECONDED by C/M Bender.
VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE
C/M Schumann said regarding the City Attorney's budget and the
passage of the memorandum referring to him, he feels no need to
retain the deferred compensation plan in the amount of $7,500.00
and automobile allowance of $3,600.00.
* C/M Schumann MOVED to REMOVE $11,100.00 from the City Attorney's
* budget, SECONDED by C/M Bender. i
VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE
City Manager Kelly said the General Fund amount prior to the cuts
in the budget was $16,616,740.00 and with a deduction of
$36,100.00, the General Fund budget is $16,580,640.00. He said
all funds combined will be $37,069,580.00. He said also, by that
reduction, the millage rate is reduced from 4.6099 to 4.5E18 which
is about 3 cents. He said the debt service remains at .6215 and
the final millage is 5.2033.
Mayor Abramowitz opened the public hearing.
Melanie Reynolds, resident, read a headline from the newspaper,
"Tamarac okay's budget, but still seeks cuts". She suggested
abolishing the Code Enforcement Department. She said it is an
illegal department created by the City Manager who has no
authority to create departments. She said it is also illegal due
to the manner in which it is being handled which is in viclat�ibn
of the City's Charter, City Ordinance and two State laws. She
said Code Enforcement was originally under the Police Department
and an efficiency expert advised the City to place it under the
Building Department so that the expenses would be listed there.
She said presently, Code Enforcement has revenues of $1,000.(0 and
expenses for next year will be $176,000.00. She said Code
Enforcement has $33,000.00 in their budget for vehicle
expenditures, where Building, Community Development and
Engineering have none.
Melanie Reynolds said when City Manager Kelly was hired in 1986,
the Building Department included the City Planner and the Code
Enforcement Inspectors. She said if the City put the Planning
Department and Code Enforcement back into the Building Department,
it may help the budget.
Melanie Reynolds said in the past when the City needed to cut the
budget, all car allowances were eliminated. She said presently,
the Public Works Director has a car allowance being raised from
$2,400.00 to $3,600.00 per year. She said a vehicle was p,irchased
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for City Manager Kelly's personal use and another leased for
Assistant City Manager, Dina McDermott, with an allowance of
$4,000.00 for vehicle expenditures placed into the City Manager's
budget.
Melanie Reynolds said the Attorney General prohibits these uses of
City funds. She said when these changes were made, there was a
change of wording in two Resolutions which cannot be changed
without proper Council action.
Melanie Reynolds suggested hiring an outside law firm to handle
the City's legal business rather than an in-house attorney. She
said that Mrs. Peter Weinstein's Early Childhood Development
Organization is being given $1,000.00 per year when it is
prohibited to donate to private charitable organizations.
Melanie Reynolds said in the past, there were violations of the
Charter and the Code of the City which is continuing presently.
She read advice given to Council by the Charter Board at the
September 19, 1978 meeting of the Charter Board (See attached).
Melanie Reynolds said she has been in correspondence with the
Attorney General concerning this violation and, if the budget is
adopted by this Resolution, she said she will contact him and the
Florida Bar.
Marvin Seidel, resident of Kings Point, asked if the recycling is
an official policy of the City. He asked if it is legal to apply
it to the budget if not official.
Mayor Abramowitz said the money is not in the budget.
Marvin Seidel asked if it is a reality of recycling of condos in
1991 and Mayor Abramowitz agreed and said it is mandated by the
State.
Stan Bernard, Charter Board Chairman, said he objects to the cuts
proposed in the City's budget reducing the Charter Board's
secretarial and legal services. He said he feels the next Charter
Board will operate in the negative. He said a two-thirds
reduction of legal services is proposed. He said this Charter
Board is not going to avail itself of the free services of the
City Attorney in drawing up any amendments it proposes. He said
this Charter Board is an independently elected Board and it
requires the essentials to operate competently and he requested
the money to do so.
Zeke Feldman, Charter Board vice -Chairman, said he has been a
resident for 20 years and has never seen a 60% cut in the budget.
He said he recognizes that Council is trying'to keep the taxes and
costs -of -living down. He said in the Tam -A -Gram issue printed
before the elections, an article was placed which only showed one
side of the issue; therefore, making it political. He asked where
in the budget, money is allowed for political advertising. He
said he would like to know why the City needs a 60% cut in the
budget. He said the Charter states that the Charter Board is
entitled to have their own attorney and, if the attorney goes
over the amount of money allotted under the Charter, the Mayor and
the City will still be liable for it, because the Charter Board
members are also elected officials. He said he feels the articles
in the Tarn -A -Gram wasted approximately $1,400.00 of the City's
money on a political issue. He said he wants to know why this was
done.
Leonard Stein, resident of the Mainlands, said Broward County is
also going to raise property taxes and they are not going to tell
the residents of Broward County how much the increase will be
until after the elections. He asked why the City budget is
announced before the elections.
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Mayor Abramowitz said the law dictates how and when the Public
Hearings are to be held. He said this budget has been in the
process for five months. He said the City of Tamarac is one of
the only two cities in Broward County that does not have a Utility
Tax. He said if the City had a Utility Tax, the ad valorum tax
could possibly cease to exist. He said Council is pleased to be
able to hold the taxes as low as they are.
Leonard Stein expressed his appreciation.
Sal Reagan, resident of Lakes of Carriage Hills, said there were
some accusations made regarding the car allowances and he would
like an answer regarding these accusations. He said he feels that
an internal auditor is not needed because the City has fully
trained accountants in the Finance Department.
Mayor Abramowitz read the following list from the surrounding
cities regarding the City Manager's car allowances: Davie - $350
per month, Margate - paid car and phone, North Lauderdale - paid
car and phone, Sunrise - paid car and phone, Coconut Creek - paid
car and phone, Deerfield Beach - paid car and phone, Dania - $6000
per year, Hallandale - paid car and phone.
Mayor Abramowitz said in the year Dina McDermott has been employed
by the City, she has brought in more money than in the past 10
years. He said she is the Assistant City Manager and is
constantly looking for revenues for the City in the form of
Grants.
Mayor Abramowitz said the Code Enforcement Board is mandated by
the State of Florida and this Board keeps the City clean and
beautiful. He said other cities have political signs which
Tamarac does not. He said the Code Enforcement Board has a'
$1,000.00 income because they have a 90% compliance to the Oode.
Nathan Sinreich, resident, said the tax increase is everywhere.
He said the taxes are being increased and the incomes are being
reduced. He asked what can be done to compensate for these
increases. He said there is no recourse and the government of the
United States takes more away.
Mayor Abramowitz said in the November election, Referendum #3
gives the public the opportunity to do something. He said the
State has taken all the money from the municipalities and the
municipalities have to pass the problems on to the residentsiin
the way of taxes. He asked the residents to vote in favor of
Referendum #3.
4.` NOTION TO ADOp,,T T,gap_ Remo_ M-92 adopting a final millage
rate for Fiscal Year 1990/91.
gymorts-Ts OF �&r—Txo;, RESOLUTION R-90-209 PASSED
APPROVED adopting a final millage rate of 4.5818 and 0.6215 for D-ab't
Service for FY 1990/91.
City Attorney Ruf read TeW_ ReAq #,5$82 in its entirety as
required by law.
* V/M Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT Temp_ Reno, 45RD3, SECONDED by
C/M Schumann.
VOTE: ALL VOTED AYE
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5. XDTION :CQ ADOPT Tg=__Reso. #5893 adopting a final Budget for
Fiscal Year 1990/91.
RESOLUTION R-90-210 PASSED
APPROVED adopting a final budget of $16,580,640 for the General Fund and
$37,069,580 for all funds for FY 1990/91.
City Attorney Ruf read Tom- Reeo_ #5883 by title.
* V/M Hoffman ROVED to ADOPT Temp_ AeaQ_ #5893, SECONDED by
* C/M Bender.
lzl4h 4 IF
ALL VOTED AYR
Mayor Abramowitz read information from the new tax rate: "If a
house or apartment is assessed at $50,000.00, the new tax rate
plus the millage rate is increased by $13.00 per year. If a house
or apartment is assessed at $75,000.00, the new tax rate plus the
millage rate is increased by $25.00 per year. If a house or
apartment is assessed at $100,000.00, the new tax rate plus the
millage rate is increased by $38.00 per year. If a house or
apartment is assessed at $35,000.00, the increase is $5.50 per
year".
Mayor Abramowitz ended the meeting by wishing a very healthy and
happy New Year to his Jewish and non --Jewish friends and
neighbors.
With no further business, Mayor Abramowitz ADJOURNED this meeting
at 7:45 P.M.
ITRMAN ABRAMOWITZ, MAYOR'
CAROL A. EVANS, CITY CLERK "-
"This public document was promulgated at a cost of $65.24 or $T.55 per
copy to inform the general public, public officers and employeet of -
recent opinions and considerations of the City Council of the City of
Tamarac."
CITY OF TAMARAC
APPROVED AT MEETING OF
6iry r_t_EeeK
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