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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final July 10, 2024 <br />24-0573 <br />Attachments: Constitutionals <br />A slide with the proposed budgets for all the Constitutional Officers showed a <br />total of $93,127,063, a 6.3 percent increase over last year's starting budget. <br />Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Ryan Butler requested a 3.85 <br />percent increase over last year's budget, which reduced funding expenditures <br />while still allowing a cost of living increase for employees. He reminded the <br />Board that in 2005, the State shifted the burden of Information Technology <br />costs to the County, and for the past 19 years had been paid through trust <br />funds which were running out of money. Clerk Butler anticipated increasingly <br />larger budget requests starting with fiscal year 2026/27, dependent on revised <br />revenue allocations. <br />Chairman Adams noted the Tax Collector's budget was not due until August <br />1, 2024; an estimated 6.1 percent increase was included for planning <br />purposes only. <br />Property Appraiser Wesley Davis discussed technological upgrades his office <br />employed which allowed faster reporting, and the plan to offer Homestead <br />Exemption filings online. The Appraiser's office requested a 7.6 percent <br />increase for technology improvements which would reduce staff time and <br />expense. <br />Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers recounted meeting with County <br />Administrator John Titkanich to negotiate a feasible budget increase. The 6.5 <br />percent increase brought the requested budget total to $78,911,955. Sheriff <br />Flowers noted last year's budget increase went to employee salaries, as <br />would this year's. He also cautioned that this number did not fully fund the <br />Department to be able to meet all of its goals. In response to Commissioner <br />Loar, Sheriff Flowers informed that in the face of a tax revenue decrease, he <br />would protect employee salaries and make cuts from the operations. <br />Chairman Adams added a reminder that the Board had many mandated <br />funding obligations to consider and balance. <br />Supervisor of Elections Leslie R. Swan noted the November 2024 <br />presidential election cycle would bring high voter turnout and require a <br />two -card ballot, meaning higher printing and postage costs. She requested a <br />budget increase of 3.8 percent which included money to upgrade their <br />discontinued operational system, and the cost to purchase additional precinct <br />Indian River County Florida Page 5 <br />