- April 19, 2024
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In addition, staff announced that Panera Bread has filed a site plan and could complete construction in six months.
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon has said repeatedly during the budget process that despite the millage rate going up, most residents would actually see a tax decrease.
At the Aug. 23 City Council workshop, Landon and Palm Coast Finance Director Ray Britt provided the council with its final 2012 budget presentation — an action required by state law.
The proposed millage rate remained at 3.9900 mills, or $3.99 per $1,000 of taxable value.
The total budget expenditures for 2012 will be approximately $120 million, down from about $175 million in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. However, of the $120 million, $16 million comes from fund transfers, Landon said, adding that the city is really spending more like $106 million.
Landon said that, years ago, the total expenditures exceeded $200 million.
“So, as far as cutting, I would say in the last five years, our total budget is about half of where it used to be,” he said.
The budget won’t be finalized until late September, but Landon told council members Tuesday that the proposed 2012 budget doesn’t include any employee layoffs and won’t affect city services. Still, the city is doing more with less, Landon said.
“We will collect fewer taxes next year then we did this year,” Landon said. “We collected fewer taxes this year than we did last year.”
The budget reflects a reduction of 10 full-time employees between the general and enterprise funds. Landon said those positions are currently vacant and simply won’t be filled.
“We have asked fewer people to do more work,” Landon added.
According to the presentation, the city will collect $13.31 million in property taxes next fiscal year. (Property values in the city decreased by about 14% compared to last year.) In 2011, the city collected $15.04 million.
The first public hearing and tentative adoption of the 2012 millage rate and budget will be 5:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, at the Palm Coast Community Center.
The final public hearing and final adoption of the 2012 millage rate and budget will be 5:05 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Additionally, Landon said Tuesday that Panera Bread has filed its site plan application with the city last week. According to Landon, the construction process takes about six months, and he expects the planning process to be completed within 30 days.
