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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 05B_10/06/2003 v � ^ " . VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA � � � ' �! Post Office Box 32�3 • ?SO Tequesta Drive, Suite 3Q0 � ,� � " _ ^ ,,� � ' "' �� � Tequesta, Florida 33469-Q273 • (561) 575-6200 '` -�'"� ''�� � � r .� , ' { �o Fax: (561} 575-6203 ^�� PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FINAL MILLAGE AND FINAL FY 2003/2004 BUDGET MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 18, 2003 I. Call to Order and Roll Call The Tequesta Village Council held a Public Hearing at the Tequesta Recreation Center, 399 Sea.brook Road, Tequesta, Florida, on Thursda.y, September 18, 2003. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by the Village Clerk. A roll call was taken by Mary Miles, Village Clerk. Council Members present were: Mayor Edward D. Resnik, Vice Mayor Russell J. von Frank, Council Member Joseph N. Capretta, and Council Member Pat Watkins. Council Member Geraldine A. Genco azrived at 7:31 p.m. Also in attendance were: Village Manager Michael R. Couzzo, . Jr., Village Attorney Scott G. Hawkins, Village Clerk Mary Miles, and Depart�nent Heads. II. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Resnik led the pledge of allegiance. III. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Vice Mayor von Frank made a motion to approve the Agenda as snbmitted. Council Member Watkins seconded the motion, which carried by unaaimous 4- U vote. IV. Public Hearings A. Public Hearings for Final Millage Rate Adoption and Final Budget Adoption i. Ordinance No. 581—Second and Final Reading—An Ordinance of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, providing for levying a millage rate of 6.4980 per $1,000.00 of tazable valuation 7.1111% greater than the rolled-back millage rate of 6.0666 per $1,000.00 of tazable valuation for the Fiscal Year 2003/2004 providing an effective date. Recycied Paper � PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FINAL MILLAGE AND FINAL FY 20Q3/2004 BUDGET MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 18, 2Q03 Page 2 Mayor Resnik announced that the Public Hearing was open. Village Clerk Miles read 4rdinance No. 581 in its entirety. Village Manager Couzzo stated tha.t this was the second budget heari:ng for the 2003-2004 budget, and that the millage rate was 6.498 mills for the comin.g yeaz: During comments by the Council, Councit Member Capretta recommended. discussion with the public of what was in and what was out of the millage raxe and comparison with other towns such as Juno and Jupiter. Council Member Capretta. explained that Tequesta basically included everything, which made their millage ra.te look high but it was all tax deductible, and police was a big part of it, but Jupiter did aot include their police services in their millage ra.te they had a sepazate bill for tha.t. One had to look at everything to see the real costs, since millage rates did not tell the true story. Village Manager Couzzo responded that analysis had been done and was on the table tonight before the Council, including a detailed analysis of every town in Pa1m Bea.ch County. The Village Manager noted. that the fire protection was a big part of Tequesta's millage rate, and if it were takea out and placed on the side, the millage rate would only be 3.4% to 3.5%. Village Manager Couzzo explained that from tax revenues � received, the Village realized 25 to 28 cents on each dollar and the rest went to the county, the schools, and other taxing clistricts, even though the bulk of services to Tequesta. residents were provided by the Village. Council Member Watkins commented it was remarkable that the Village . was able to provide the services they did, and that they were doing their best to become self suf�cient and should be proud of the fact they had been able to lower the millage ra.te at a11. A woman in the audience questioned why the newspaper had referred to a tax increase. Joann Forsythe, Finance Director, explained that there. were two different issues—one about millage, the other how much the Village actually got in taxes. When the millage was multiplied by the property assessments, the Village was actually bringing in more money in tax dollazs, but most individuals would see a reduction because the Village itself decreased, so unless one was a new owner of a home with a higher value, they would see a tax decrease from the taxes the year before. Mr. Couzzo explained that the millage ra.te was a chazge per thousand dollazs on the assessed value of your home, and if you ha.d not recently purchased a home or done ma.jor unprovements, by law your taxes could not increase more than 3% on the assessment. The Village ha.d had a tax rate decrease, so most residents would see a decrease in the amount of their property taxes in Tequesta. New or resold homes would cany a higher assessment rate, � and that made up the additional revenue that was coming into the Village. Dr. Cazey questioned what the rate was last year. Mr. Couzzo responded. that last year's millage rate was 6.7305. Village Manager Couzzo PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FINAL MILLAGE AND FINAL FY 2003/2004 BUDGET MEETING NIINUTE5 SEPTEMBER 18, 2003 Page 3 expla.ined that the rolled back rate was a rate that would be used to multiply aga.inst the overall assessed value in order to generate the same rate as last year. The rolled back rate was difficult to understand, but onl.y meant that the Village would get the same amount of tax dollars next yeaz as they did last year to opera.te, and there would have to be no increases in operating expenses or gersonnel costs. Village Manager Couzzo explained that the millage ra.te was determined by using .006 times 1,000. Dr. Carey requested that be explained more fully at a later time. A woman in the audience asked why the fire truck had to come out for medical ca11s. Mayor Resnik explained the fire engine, a police car, and an ambulance came in order to have the necessary support people to save a life. The woman wanted to know why fewer people could not respond; Council Member Capretta explai.ned. that when a ca11 was received the seriousness was not known so they a11 responded, wluch was four people, and there was a 2-minute response time anywhere in the Village. Vice Mayor von Frank pointed out a home ha.d burned because there was a state law four firefighters must be present and only three were there so they could not battle the fire. Hearing no fiu�th.er commeats from the public, Mayor Resnik declared the public hearing closed. . MOTION Vice Mayor von Frank made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 581 . on Second and Final Reading. Council Member Watkins seconded the motion, witich carried by unanimous 40 vote. ii. Ordinance No. 582--Second and Final Readin�An Ordinance of the Village Council of the Village of Teqnesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, providing for the adoption of the budgets for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2003. Mayor Resnik announced that the Public Hearing was open. Village Clerk Miles read Ordinance No. 582 in its entirety. MOTION Vice Mayor von Frank made a motion to accept Ordinance No. 582. Council Member Watl�ns seconded the motion. During discussion of the motion a member of the andience requested a description of the general fund, and Mayor Resnik stated the motion was premature and that the budget would be reviewed. Mayor Resnik read a statement that everyone shonld bear in mind that this budget represented a dedicated effort over many honrs by the Village Manager and staff to produce a docnment that provided for necessary ,� � PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FINAL MILLAGE AND FINAL FY 2003/2004 BUDGET MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 18, 2003 Page 4 personnel costs, competitive pay adjustments, continucd outstanding across-the-board services and programs for residents, and met all debt obligallons, while still permitting the Village to reduce its millage rate from 6.7302 to 6.498, a reduction of 3.72 percent, a favorable financial condition, and the pnrpose tonight in reviewing this ordinance was to have the Village Manager present a summary of the proposed budget and answer questions regarding the budge� Mayor Resnik stated that the purpose tonight was to ensure tat the proposed budget provided a sound financial plan for the administration and operation of the Village dnring the nezt fiscal year for the lbenefit of all residents. Budget summary handouts containing a brief outline of each of the departments and their budgets were distribnted to the public. Village Manager Michael R Couzzo, Jr. reviewed the General Fnnd which he ezpl�ined was the operating bndget for the Fire Department, Police Department, Finance Department, Administration, office of the Village Clerk, and other general governmental services. The bulk of revennes was from property tazes totaling $3,724,30A anticipated for nezt year. The total General Fund bndget was $6,586,838, representing an increase over last year of 4.03%. A year-to-year comparison on what had happened with all revenues was shown. Ezpenditures were reviewed The largest ezpense was for public safety�police and fire, 59% of the General . Fund budget, which cost more than property tazes generated. The additional money came from other revennes, wluch also paid for the other departments under the General Fund 6udget Changes year- tayear were shown for all departments in the General Fund. A member of the audience questioned the cash dollars spent in 2002. Mr. Cou�zo ezplained there had been realignment of some of the funds to give a more accnrate accounting, and that the proposed budget was for 2004. Actual �vas the amount anticipated in 2003 — there were only 12 days left. The 2003 amended budget was what the line items currently had in their accounts, and the prior year's budget was also sho�vn, so there were really three years shown. Council Member Genco arrived. at this point in the meeti.ng, at 7:31 p.m. Finance Director Forsythe ezplained the utility services had been moved into other governmental; if a department could be identified to put a cost into then it �vas put into that department—if it was a cost spread across a group of departments, was hard to identify, or it did not make sense to allocate it, then it was placed in other general governmental. There had been a large insnrance cost for machinery, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON F1NAL MILLAGE AND FINAL FY 2003/2004 BUDGET MEETING NIINUTES SEPTEMBER 18, 2003 P�ge 5 boiler, eqnipment, which had been hard to allocate to all departments, so it was taken out of the departments and placed in general governmentaL The other increase in other genera.l governmental was ntility services, which had also been taken out of the departments. Ms. Forsythe ezplained the decreases did not always show up since sometimes they only made the increases less or it was a wash. Village Manager �ouzzo ezplained that there was only a 4.03% increase overall in the General Fund over the current year. The other large funds were the enterprise funds—water utility, refuse and recycling, and Commnnity Development--the largest being the water utility fund. Nezt year Commnnity Development would be merged into the general fund, snbject to Council approvaL All of the funds and egpenditures were counted separately. The total change was 5%. Mr. Couzzo reported that made up the bulk of the funds and revenues for nezt year. Council Member Capretta referred to page 7 of the handout, which listed the tagable value of the Village, which had almost doubled in valae siwce he came on the Conncil in 1988. Council Member Capretta egplained that in the past eight years the value of property had gone up substantially, due to new construction, the economy, and infrastracture improvements; and reported that one of the DiVosta homes which sold for $117,000 frve years ago had recently sold for $210,Q00. Propert� valnes were rising because this was a more desirable place to live. Conncil Member Capretta commented when he moved to Tequesta all the residents lived west of the railroad tracks; now there were 2,000 living east of the railroad tracks; therefore, the town was growing and as soon as a developer put something np for sale it sold immediately, and the property appreciated. Those who wanted snrefire money shbuld invest in their homes. Council Member Capretta commented that the Village was not only a great place to live, but a fmancially profitable one; that the Council wanted to make sure residents had a good water, good drainage, good library, a good public safety building, a police and fire department, and good recreation facilities; and that the makeup of the �illage was changing from a retirement town to yonng famiIies with children. Council Member Capretta advised that the Conncil's job was to take the residents' taz money and invest it for them and make this a nice place to live. Total increase in property value was S74 million, and subtracting new construction, ezisting properties rose $50 million. Conncil Member Capretta reported the last ten houses sold on River Drive had sold� for over a million dollars, and this was a very a�luent town. Council Member Watkins announced that more � I I i PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FINAL MII.LAGE ; AND FINAL FY 200312dQ4 BUDGET MEETING MINUTES � SEPTEMBER 18, 2803 Page 6 copies of the budget summary could be obtained in the Village Manager's office. Hearing no fn�ther comments, Mayor Resnik declared the pnblic hearing closed. The Village Clerk clarified th�[t a motion had been madc by Vice Mayor von Frank, seconded by Conncil Member Watkins to accept Ordiaance No. 582. Motion carried by unanimous 5-0 vote. Village Manager Couzzo thanked. staff for their work on an exceller�t budget which would reduce the millage rate and enhance and improve the level of service to the residents of this community. V. ADJOURNMENT MOTIpN: Conncil Member Capretta mt�de a motion to adjonrn the meeting at 7:41 p.m. Council Member Watkins seconded the motion, which car�ied by unanimous 5-0 � vate. ' Respec�fiilly submitted, Mary Miles Village Clerk I I