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Dade City Eliminates Services Position

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 17, 2008

DADE CITY - City officials will eliminate at least one position this year because of state-mandated tax cuts.

The position of administrative services director, held for three years by Laura Beagles, has been eliminated, and more reductions are possible in coming months.

"It's a streamlining initiative," City Manager Billy Poe said. "We're trying to cut costs."

He said the position will be eliminated at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30.

Beagles, 56, is responsible for human resources, obtaining state and federal grants, and other tasks. She was hired in 2001 as assistant city manager and promoted four years later. The job pays $58,000 with benefits.

Like Pasco County's other cities, Dade City is grappling with the impact of property tax reforms and Amendment 1, a statewide tax-relief measure voters approved in January.

The city is bracing for an 11 percent drop in its tax roll as its taxable value drops from about $339 million in 2007 to $300 million this fiscal year.

Cash-strapped municipalities have had to compensate for the loss of operating revenue by cutting services, reducing programs and tapping into reserve funds.

Others have been able to weather the cuts with money from new construction and additional sources of revenue, such as impact fees and other levies imposed on residents.

City jobs are also being eliminated, one by one.

Zephyrhills, facing similar revenue shortfalls, has done away with five vacant positions, including assistant city planner - Poe's old job. The reductions will save about $250,000 a year. Port Richey and New Port Richey have frozen several vacant positions.

At a work session in May, Dade City commissioners directed Poe to streamline the city government's operations by doing away with overlapping job responsibilities.

He said more positions could be eliminated but would not say which or how many.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com.

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