5/31/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ma 92 ma 554 Discussion ensued regarding the State -announced 4 percent increase in employees' salaries. Commissioner Macht asked if we are obligated to follow suit, and Administrator Chandler responded that he is not aware of a requirement to do so. Commissioner Bird clarified that of the budgets under the control of the Board, the goal is no increase in taxation. That means that if a home or property was assessed at the same value as last year and we apply the millage we control, the taxes would not increase. He emphasized that the Board controls only around 35 to 40 percent of the total bill. The balance of the tax bill, which is made up of all the other taxing entities, is beyond the Board's control. Commissioner Bird asked, and Administrator Chandler stated that staff will meet with department heads, constitutional officers and outside agencies to make recommendations so there will be no surprises in the proposed budget. The proposed budget which will be presented in July will include recommendations on the entire budget, including constitutional officers, state agencies and non- profit agencies. Chairman Tippin recognized that staff is dealing with a rough job and complimented the department heads who are holding the line and encouraged others to follow suit. He realized that it will require prioritizing to find $2.5 million to hold the line throughout the budget. Director Baird related that the General Fund will be the most difficult. Administrator Chandler noted that the Solid Waste Disposal District had increased expenses in the last _couple of years, including 7 new positions which were tied to regulatory requirements. That was done without a rate adjustment. We also must contend with changes in landfill closure -where the length of monitoring time was increased from 20 to 30 years. He cautioned that the SWDD budget is going to be extremely difficult to work without a rate adjustment. Chairman Tippin pointed out that while we may expect a little bit of growth, he saw some insecurity regarding our citrus industry, which has taken a hit two years in a row. The selling price of groves is low, and he expressed concern about what is going to happen in a year or two when the assessment roll reflects the lower value of the grove properties. Commissioner Macht congratulated staff and felt the public should be made aware of the difficulty and significance of staff's work in view of the pressure placed on County and City government 4 _ M