Thank you for visiting The islander Newspaper Online.

We are currently updating our website to provide you better service and function.
If you would like to access the new site, please, click here: The islander Newspaper

Sorry for any inconvenience. Our new site and service will resume shortly.

Web Master

The Award Winning & Best News on Anna Maria Island, FL Since 1992

"The Award Winning & Best News on Anna Maria Island, FL Since 1992"

Tuesday, Mar, 19, 2024
Florida Press Assn. Award-Winning Web Site
Home Latest News Weather Sports Real Estate Classifieds Island Guide islander Store

 SECTIONS

 • 

Main News

 • 

Classifieds

 • 

Opinions

 • 

Streetlife

 • 

Calendar

 • 

Fishing

 • 

Sports

 • 

Real Estate

 • 

Obituaries

 • 

Weather

 Features

 • 

Cortez Cook Off: The Results

 • 

Anna Maria Island Bridge FDOT replacement bridge

 • 

National Hurricane Center (Atlantic)

 • 

Advanced Search

 • 

I love AMI

 • 

Mystery Story

 • 

Fishing Laws

 Classifieds

 • 

Classifieds Page

 • 

Place An AD

 • 

Items for Sale

 • 

Garage Sale

 • 

Estate Sale

 • 

Announcments

 • 

Lost & Found

 • 

Pets

 • 

Transportation

 • 

Boats & Boating

 • 

Fishing

 • 

Kids 4 Hire

 • 

Help Wanted

 • 

Health Care

 • 

Services

 • 

Lawn & Garden

 • 

Landscaping

 • 

Home Improvement

 • 

Business Opportunities

 • 

Rentals

 • 

Real Estate

 Weather

 • 

Today's Forecast

 • 

10 Day Forecast

 • 

Today's Tides

 • 

Emergency e-mail

 • 

Storm Watch

 Archive

 • 

News Archive

 • 

2009 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2008 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2007 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2006 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2005 Top Notch Gallery

 • 

2004 Top Notch Gallery

 Useful Links

 • 

Island Links

 • 

i.wed

 • 

islander Store

 • 

About this Site

 Contact Us

 • 

islander Store

 • 

Subscribe

 • 

About Us

 • 

e-mail us

Story Tools

BB commission acts on budget

Bradenton Beach commissioners voted last week to move forward with a $2.66 million spending plan for 2010-11 and likely will adopt the budget this week.

The commission, meeting Sept. 7 at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., also unanimously adopted a resolution setting the proposed millage rate — the rate used to collect property taxes for the city — at 2.1539 mills.

The rate is the same as the rate for the 2009-10 budget and 13.39 percent less than the roll-back rate, which, according to the Manatee County Property Assessor’s Office is 2.4868 mills.

Florida’s Truth in Millage or TRIM law defines the roll-back rate as the millage rate, which, when multiplied times the tax base — exclusive of new construction added to the tax roll — would yield the same amount of revenue for the taxing authority as was yielded by the millage rate levied in the previous year.

In stronger economic times, the tax base rises by virtue of assessment, causing the roll-back rate to be lower than the previous year’s millage rate. But the tax base has declined in Bradenton Beach, and many other Florida municipalities. So, for the upcoming budget, Bradenton Beach would be raising taxes if it used the roll-back rate.

“We sure wouldn’t want to go to the roll-back rate,” Mayor Bob Bartelt said at the Sept. 7 meeting.

The meeting began shortly after 7 p.m., with the mayor and three of the four commissioners at the dais — Gay Breuler was absent — and city clerk Nora Idso at the clerk’s desk.

The audience consisted of a reporter and Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore.

Idso commented, “This is my 10th budget. This is my sixth one as city clerk. The most we’ve ever had in a budget audience is three people and two press.”

When Bartelt opened the budget hearing and invited public comment, there was silence, so he moved on.

The meeting lasted 13 minutes and included three unanimous votes: adoption of a resolution setting the proposed millage, adoption of a budget resolution and approval of a first reading of an ordinance for the 2010-11 budget, which would take effect Oct. 1.

 

The details

The commission, working with the city clerk and other department heads, held numerous meetings to prepare the budget, beginning in the spring and continuing through July.

From the start, the commission was using a proposed budget that set the tax rate at 2.1539 mills per $1,000 of assessed property value, the same rate used in financing the 2009-10 and 2008-09 budgets.

If the city levies the proposed 2.1539 millage rate, the local tax on a $400,000 home, without taking exemptions into account, would be $861.56.

The overall proposed budget does not call for spending any of the city’s reserves, which was required this year.

It would provide for the elimination of the program/project management department, which would yield a savings of about $115,394.

Some of the cost savings would be used to finance a 5 percent pay raise for city employees.

The mayor has said that employees have not received a raise in three years.

A 5 percent raise for an employee earning the city’s minimum wage would mean 57 cents more per hour or $22.80 more for a 40-hour week.

The budget also contains decreased estimates for fuel costs, employee overtime, professional fees and attorney services.

Overall, the proposed budget is $2,667,114.40 compared with $2,847,301 for 2009-10.

The budget year is from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30; the tax year is from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.

The final budget hearing was set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at city hall.

Now and later


Category

2009-10 budget

2010-11 budget

Millage:

2.1539 mills

2.1539 mills

Roll-back rate:

2.304 mills

2.4868 mills

Ad valorem taxes:

$1.07 million

$873,808

Total revenues:

$2.72 million

$2.68 million

Total expenses:

$2.84 million

$2.66 million

Administration:

$360,503

$362,293

Project manager:

$115,394

0

Commission:

$43,954

$34,200

CRA:

$106,000

$105,000

Police:

$897,650

$937,226

Emergency Ops:

$24,935

$21,000

Planning:

$360,169

$26350

Streets/Roads:

$190,150

$188,426

Stormwater:

$168,300

$159,564

Facilities:

$134,700

$140,577

Sanitation:

$296,639

$299,372

Capital projects:

$112,707

$37,500

Source: Bradenton Beach budget worksheet

Get breaking news

Follow the islander on TwitterBecome a fan of The islander on Facebook

Sign up to receive breaking news alerts via e-mail. We'll send you a notice when the news and classifieds appear online every week, before the print edition hits the streets.

Click here for Gulf oil spill updates related to Anna Maria Island.

Historic Anna Maria City Pier Plank Walk

Put your name, your message, your memorial on the Historic Anna Maria City Pier prior to the Pier Centennial Celebration! And join the fun!

CLICK HERE for Stoltzfus e-mails and related court documents.


FREE Island
Vacation Guide:
get it here

Cortez Cookoff

Click here for 2010 Cortez Cookoff Winner and recipes

To advertise here, please
visit our rates page
or contact us at:
sales@islander.org
Phone: (941) 778-7978
Fax: (941) 778-9392

Back to top of Page

Home | Weather | Real Estate | Classifieds | Archives | Contact | Island Links
islander Store | Subscribe About this site | Classifieds Page | Place an Ad
For Sale | Garage Sales | Announcements | Lost & Found | Pets | Transportation
Boats & Boating | Fishing | Kids for Hire | Help Wanted | Health Care | Services
Lawn & Garden | Landscaping | Home Improvement | Business Opportunities | Rentals | Real Estate

Our Privacy and Copyright Statements © 1992 - 2009, The islander