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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-09-03 - City Commission Budget Workshop Meeting Minutes9 MAIL REPLY TO: P.O. BOX 25010 TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33320 5811 NORTHWEST 88TH AVENUE TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33321 TELEPHONE (305) 722-5900 August 18, 1986 NOTICE OF BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING CITY COUNCIL TAMARAC, FLORIDA There has been a City Council Workshop Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 3, 1986, at 10:00 A.M. (or immediately following the pre -agenda meeting which is scheduled for 9:00 A.M.) in the West Conference Room of City Hall, 5811 N.W. 88th Avenue, for review of Proposed Budgets for Fiscal Year 1986/87. The public is invited to attend. Carol E. Barbuto /c Assistant City Clerk AN EOUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAPPED STATUS Ilk CITY COUNCIL OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING September 3, 1986 Tape 1 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Hart called the meeting to order at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 3, 1986 in the West Conference Room of City Hall. It ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Mayor Bernard Hart Vice Mayor Jack Stelzer Councilman Sydney M. Stein Councilman Arthur H. Gottesman ABSENT AND EXCUSED: ALSO PRESENT: Councilwoman Helen Massaro John C. Kelly, City Manager Larry Perretti, Assistant City Manager Frank Etheredge, Finance Director Patricia Marcurio, Secretary Mayor Hart noted that this Workshop Meeting is being held in preparation of the budget, which will be presented to the people at public hearings on Monday, September 8, 1986 at 6:00 P.M. and Tuesday, September 23, 1986 at 6:00 P.M. C/M Stein said the budget has been reviewed over the summer months and this meeting was called to be sure all Council members were aware of the figures. He said he would like today's discussion to contain any questions or objections concerning what is in the budget. C/M Stein noted that 75% of the budget is set by union contracts since, except for the Confidential employees, the City employees are entirely unionized. He said at the previous hearing, it was noted that there are very minor increases, if any, with the largest being the addition of 9 additional Police officers and a small increase for the Legal Department. He said all other departments either stay the same or are reduced. C/M Stein said there are only a couple of ways to obtain the money needed to run the City; first, ad valorem taxes and, second, user taxes or franchises. He said the public was very unhappy with the garbage tax and it was removed costing the City half a million dollars. He said the user tax has been suggested and some people are unhappy with that; however, without the user tax, the ad valorem would be raised. C/M Gottesman said he reviewed the budget with the Finance Director for the first time yesterday and he felt this was not sufficient time. Mr. Etheredge said the actual amount that is fixed is 90% of the budget. V/M Stelzer said the 75% referred to concerns salaries and fringe benefits and the increased amount is $1,300,000.00. C/M Stein said Council members must find time to review this budget because it must be passed by a specific date. City Manager Kelly said the salary increases were allocated to all but the Confidential employees who will have pay raises deferred to April, 1987. Mr. Etheredge said he went through the budget to highlight every line item that was more than $5,000.00 for explanation to Council. Mayor Hart asked Mr. Etheredge how much the reduction of 1/10 of 1% in ad valorem would reduce the budget and Mr. Etheredge said each penny cut from the tax rate amounts to $9,000.00. 1 9/3/86 /pm C/M Stein said he and the City Manager have been working on a towing Ordinance since the City has never collected a franchise fee for this purpose. He said this could amount to between $15,000.00 and $25,000.00 but that will not affect the ad valorem rating. Mayor Hart said he is satisfied that this budget is the best that can be done. V/M Stelzer noted that last year's figures were 3.17 per $1,000.00 but this year the figures are 4.58 per $1,000.00. Mayor Hart said the newspapers have quoted a figure of "5.23" and C/M Stein said this is the amount the City has filed with the County. He said this figure is the maximum amount the City can charge and is quoted as such. Mr. Etheredge said it is important to realize that this budget does not do for the City what needs to be done. He said next year or soon after there will be more increases to replace the capital equipment that is falling apart now. City Manager Kelly said that is a very serious consideration. C/M Stein said this was the common fault of most cities because when they became "developer cities" and the developer stated there are no taxes in this City and it will remain that way, the Administration continued that attitude. He said the City Admin- istration has known for years that repairs will be necessary eventually. He said some day these items will have to be repaired. Louis Silverman, resident, asked what percent of the City's income is realized from ad valorem taxes and Mr. Etheredge said about 35%. He said about 55% comes from State and County controlled revenues with another 10% from miscellaneous income. C/M Stein noted that if there is a short fall, the City must go to ad valorem to get it and that is only 35%. Mr. Etheredge said the Contingency budgeted under the General Fund for the last few years has been approximately $200,000.00 and this year this has been reduced to approximately $60,000.00. C/M Stein said the City must receive the money necessary to run the City and he has fought against the inequity of throwing everything into the ad valorem taxes. He said by doing that the condominium owner pays the least amount of the increase since an apartment is usually assessed much less than a home. He said he does not think this is fair and a user fee would allow those that use less electricity to pay less. He said commercial users would pay more since they are the largest users of electricity. With no further discussion by Council, Mayor Hart adjourned the meeting at 10:45 A.M. Marilyn Be half, CMC City Clerk This public document was promulgated $1.48 per copy to inform the general and employees about recent opinions Council of the City of Tamarac. at a cost of $47.47 or public and public officers and considerations by the City K 9/3/86 /pm