HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 07 16 Final Report Ad Hoc WS Property Tax Reform Mitigation Committee Minutes (2)
FINAL REPORT
OF THE
AD HOC WINTER SPRINGS
CITIZEN PROPERTY TAX REFORM
MITIGATION STUDY COMMITTEE
July 16, 2007
Michael S. Blake, Chairman
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter of Transmittal_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________ _ __ _. _ __ _ ______... .____ _ _ _ _ ___._... _ _ _ _ ____ _.... _ _ _______ _. _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _..._ _ _ _ _ __ _____ _ _. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I
Recommendations. _ _ _ _ _ __ __...... .__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _...... _ _ _ _____ _ _ ..... _ _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ _. _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __..__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _______ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ 4
Appendices. _.... .____ _ _ _ __ ___... _.. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. _ _... _ _ _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _. _.. _ _ _ ____ _ _. _.. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __7
AD HOC WINTER SPRINGS CITIZEN PROPERTY TAX REFORM
MITIGATION STUDY COMMITTEE
1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434
WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA 32708-2799
Telephone (407) 327-1800
Michael S. Blake
Chairman
July 16, 2007
Mayor and City Commission:
On behalf of the members of the Ad Hoc Winter Springs Citizen Property Tax Reform
Mitigation Study Committee I am very pleased to transmit to you the Consensus Report
of the Recommendations of the Committee as provided in Commission Resolution 2007-
15.
I want to thank: the City Commission for the opportunity you have given your residents
through their membership on this Committee to provide you with what we believe are
appropriate responses to recently adopted Property Tax Reform Legislation that will
serve the long term best interest of persons who live, work, and invest in our City.
I also want to thank: the City Staff for their assistance in providing the Committee with a
vast amount of timely and well organized information that has facilitated our
Committee's ability to carry out its responsibilities as provided in Resolution 2007-15.
Finally, I can not say enough for the members of the Study Committee who took the time
out of their busy schedules to undertake this unprecedented complex and important
challenge in such a short time frame, and the valuable viewpoints they have offered to
each other in the fulfillment of their responsibilities contained in Resolution 2007-15.
In summary, the Committee concluded that the relatively small reductions in property
taxes offered by tax reform legislation did not warrant potential reductions in the quality
of life we have chosen for ourselves in Winter Springs, nor reductions in municipal
services currently provided by the City. Therefore, the Committee recommends that the
Mayor and City Commission take actions necessary to prevent reductions in all classes of
municipal services, layoffs of City employees, and reductions in compensation that are
necessary to recruit and retain a highly competent and motivated workforce of employees
who have to date delivered a reliable and complimentary level of municipal services to
our City's residents, businesses and visitors at a remarkably reasonable level of cost.
Although the Committee is overwhelmingly opposed to budget reductions as provided
above, the Committee has acknowledged the list of budget reduction alternatives
prepared by the City staff for consideration by the Mayor and Commission if the
Commission should choose to pursue actions different from those recommended in this
report.
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The attached report includes for your review a listing of specific recommendations of the
Committee, Staff analysis and other pertinent documentation of this study.
Sincerely,
!/fl~
Michael S. Blake, Chairman
Ad Hoc Winter Springs Citizen Property
Tax Reform Mitigation Study Committee
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REPORT
OF THE
AD HOC WINTER SPRINGS
CITIZEN PROPERTY TAX REFORM
MITIGATION STUDY COMMITTEE
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RECOMMENDA TIONS
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1. THE REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF SERVICES
Relative to this section of the City's charge of responsibility to the Committee, it is the
overwhelming consensus of the Committee that all classes of municipal services should be
retained at current levels.
However, if the Mayor and Commission should choose to reduce or eliminate current service
levels, it is the overwhelming consensus of this Committee that the Commission consider the
list of budget reductions prepared by the City Staff.
2. THE ADOPTION OF AL TERNA TIVE REVENUE SOURCES
It is the overwhelming consensus of the Committee that the City Commission should
consider adoption of the following alternative revenues sources to offset the loss of property
tax revenues in the following priority.
a. Fire incident and auto accident response insurance reimbursement fees - $78,000.
b. Increase reimbursement of School Resource Officer cost paid by Seminole County
Board of Education from 50% of cost to 100% of cost - $128,000.
c. Parks and Recreation fees - as required.
Regarding Fire Assessments, there was no clear consensus in favor of or in opposition to this
revenue alternative. Persons in favor indicated their support of such as a simple measure for
giving the Commission the flexibility to overcome the impacts of both the Statutory and
Constitutional tax reform legislation. They also believed assessments more fairly distributed
the cost of fire services. Persons opposed voiced concerns about businesses being unfairly
impacted by the assessment fees.
The Committee also endorsed the concept of paying paramedic incentive pay from the
medical transport fund as opposed to the General Fund - $63,000.
The Committee overwhelmingly opposed the adoption of fire inspection fees.
3. OTHER MEASURES DEEMED APPROPRIATE
It was the overwhelming consensus of the Committee that the Mayor and City Commission
should take the following action in the following order of priority.
a. override the full $1.3 million reduction in property taxes needed to maintain current
service levels in the City by unanimous vote of the Commission.
b. Override the $800,000, 9% statutory property tax reduction by super majority vote of
the Commission.
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It was the overwhelming consensus of the Committee to oppose the following measures.
a. Consolidation of City and County Fire Departments
b. Outsourcing Police Dispatch Services to the County.
4. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PUBLIC EDUCATION STRATEGIES
It was the overwhelming consensus of the Committee that the City should provide a factual
analysis of the potential impacts that the proposed constitutional amendments may have upon
the delivery of municipal services in the City's newsletter.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
1. STATUTORY TAX REFORM STRATEGIES
Priority 1: Override the full $1.3 million in property tax reductions by unanimous vote.
Priority 2: Override $800,000, i.e., 9% cuts, in property tax reductions by supermajority
vote.
Priority 3: Adopt Alternative Revenue Measures as appropriate.
Priority 4: If the Commission chooses to reduce or eliminate services by $1.3M, utilize
those reductions and/or eliminations recommended by staff in their July 5,
2007 report.
II. CONSTITUTIONAL TAX REFORM STRATEGIES
Publish a City Newsletter providing a factual analysis of potential constitutional impacts
on City services.
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