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Dade City Pursues Less Aggressive Property Tax Cuts

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By JO-ANN JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2007

Updated: 09/09/2007 09:22 pm

DADE CITY - City officials are facing another bare-bones budget this year.

Thursday, city commissioners will hold the first of two public hearings on the proposed spending plan for the 2007-08 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Typically, the commission approves a final budget and property tax rate immediately after the second public hearing, which will be Sept. 27.

The draft budget assumes the city will spend about $10.7 million to operate its police department, clean the streets, maintain parks, and provide water, sewer and trash services, along with other basic services. That's up only slightly from the current fiscal year's $10.6 million budget.

Of the $10.7 million proposal, about $3.3 million would go for water, sewer and trash services. The city collects fees from customers to pay for those operations.

The general fund, which is supported by property taxes, provides for police protection, code enforcement and other basic services and pays city staff members' salaries.

Under the proposed budget, the general fund would go from $5.51 million to $5.49 million, partly because of tax cuts mandated this year by the Legislature. Commissioners tentatively set a local property tax rate of $7.10 per $1,000 of assessed value, down from this year's rate of $7.84.

Commissioners could have followed more aggressive tax-cutting guidelines set by the Legislature and gone to a tax rate of $6.60 for the coming year. They heeded the advice of Finance Director Jim Class, though, who warned cutting taxes that deeply would make it harder to cope with rising fuel costs and insurance premiums.

To balance the books under the proposed budget, pay raises for most full-time city workers will be limited to 2 percent. Class also eliminated three full-time jobs that had been left vacant through retirements or job shifts.

That leaves the city with 89 full-time positions and 12 part-time positions.

TO GET INVOLVED

THE PROCESS: Residents can voice their opinions about the proposed budget before commissioners adopt it Sept. 27. Copies are available at city hall, 38020 Meridian Ave.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27

WHERE: City commission chambers, 14150 Fifth St.

CALL: (352) 523-5050.

Reporter Jo-Ann Johnston can be reached at (352) 521-3062 or jfjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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