Sanibel council OKs tentative budget, millage
The Sanibel budget for FY 2017 will see its millage rate and outstanding debt drop to a 10-year low, while seeing the overall budget increase by only a tick.
City council approved the plan during a special budget meeting Saturday morning during which it set the tentative tax rate and budget by a unanimous vote.
The council raved about the city’s ability to continue to cut the debt in half in 10 years, and found the budget to be agreeable, for the most part.
“We’ve done a great job in managing the taxpayers’ money. We’re stewards of that money and when you look at where we were, it’s gone down drastically,” Councilmember Marty Harrity said. “The millage is down and property values still haven’t rebounded totally. We managed it well.”
The tentative millage was set at 1.9138, the same as last year and down from the 2.50 rate in 2006, with the total general fund budget set at $24,791831, a .02 percent changes from last year’s amended budget and 16.9 percent less than in 2008.
In a presentation given by city manager Judie Zimomra, Property values went up 5.48 percent in 2016 and saw a stabilization of revenues received from the Causeway tolls, creating a positive financial outlook, but if water quality issues continue to fester, that outlook could be a lot less rosey.
Perhaps the most telling numbers given during the budget presentation was the amount of outstanding debt the city has killed off since 2006, in most cases by more than half.
The governmental debt shrunk from $17,919,162 in 2006 to $8,875,000 in 2015, the last official year on record.
The sewer system debt went from $51,240,287 to $21,017120, while outstanding overall debt went from $79,147305 to $40,634,677.
“We are taking in money and managing it in a prudent way. We try to do more with less,” Mayor Kevin Ruane said. “I would like to go to a rollback rate (1.8230), but that would result in cuts and I don’t want to do that.”
“I would like the rate to go down, but let’s not do it just to do it,” councilmember Chauncey Goss said. “It’s a good budget and I’m happy to support it.”
“This council’s fiscal responsibility is second to none. I love that we pay down debt and favor the budget the way it is,” Harrity said.
Things weren’t all peachy. Andrea Miller spoke to council about the need to fix the athletic fields for the rec center. She said two of the three fields don’t met the safety requirements, which could be a liability issue.
Harrity said at first it was a team effort between the county, city and the school board.
“The school owned the land, the county and us contributed money toward the operation of the rec center,” Harrity said. “I understand the first reaction is to say we don’t have the money. Sometimes you have to explain what the arrangement was. It’s a great program, and liability is a big issue.”
Harrity said the money is budgeted and that he would talk to the school board to convince them that they need to contribute.
The final budget hearing is set for Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 5:01 p.m. at McKenzie Hall in the city hall complex.