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Home My WebLink About2008 11 24 Document Provided to City Clerk by Deputy Mayor Gilmore under ReportsDate: November 24, 2008 The attached document was provided to the City Clerk by Deputy Mayor Gilmore during his "Report(s)" at the November 24, 2008 city Commission Regular Meeting. INSIDE: MORE THAN 5550 IN SAVINGS BROWARD COUNTY EDITION » S1 ~.."t' --1- }._f. -.. Fn, r - ~r ,..._ ~ ... f. t .. ~ ... ., '~ ` _-. ~-. ~ ,. .. art t~Y~pC ~` _~4 ~8' `~ ,s ~ f' - } . , .,`- _ lh tY .t:^1 ,4 K i... ~{h..- t i?~v'~~k£n L~,~.` •~:;,4e.nin r.y.aP..rr ~1 _ _ _ .,... .._~., .... ..... ......r...._.._ Fee ~ fr° ~~rba , ~i~ ~ mpara See bra FOR TAX CUT By Jennifer Gollan STAFF WRITER Weston homeowner Tony Steinbuck fights fires for a living, but even he is incensed by the more than 50 percent increase in fire fees imposed by his city. "It's a big scam," said Steinbuck, 47, a Palm Beach County firefighter whose bill jumped from $232 to $357. "That's how some of the cities are back-dooring. They knock off some property taxes, and then charge more fees." The state last year ordered spending cuts and then voters in January approved additional tax re- lief. But in Broward County, most property own- ers won't get all they were expecting. Instead, 26 municipalities and the county raised property tax rates, added or increased fees on services ranging from ambulance transport to athletic programs, or did both. Their officials say they had little choice be- cause essential services were at stake. But some residents and economists question whether local governments should have made more aggressive spending cuts or taken other measures, such as expanding the tax base or privatizing services. "I think it's totally unfair because ... they are taking more money from the citizens, which is not what the Legislature intended," said Phil McCo- naghey, 75, an engineer from Pembroke Pines, one of 13 mun!icipalitiesthat boosted its tax rate, imposed some new fees and increased others. » FEES PAGE 22 ncrease ea~°SnspOrtd ofd?~~ Ta,~a~°~ Fire service fees Cities with the largest fire fee increases~this year Weston: 5357.46, up 5124.96, or 53.7 percent Fort Lauderdale: 5135, up 541, or 43.6 percent Sunrise: 5139.50, up 542, or 43 percent Tamarac: 5193, up 552, or 36.8 percent Pembroke Pines: 5209.63, up 556.15, or 36.5 percent Lauderhill: 5250, up S62, or 33 percent Cooper City: 583.72, up 519.39, or 30.1 percent » FEES PAGE 1 paying the price for services Cities' changes Raised both property tax rates and fees: Coconut Creek, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, Mira- mar, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, Weston, Wilton Manors Raised fees only: Broward County, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Dania Beach, Fort Lau- derdale,Hallandale Beach, Holly- wood,Parkland Raised property tax rates only: Davie, Hillsboro Beach, Margate, Pompano Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes, Southwest Ranches No increases in fees or tax rates: Deerfield Beach, Lauderdale-by- the-Sea, Lazy Lake, Pembroke Park, West Park Property tax rates Property tax rate per 51,000 of taxable property value A case for fees $,25,000 homestead exemption and allowed homesteaders to take tax ... .~_ _~_ ...L..... hi+n~~ ~~I don't travel or cell phones, Pembroke Pines. Mayor Frank Ortis said: _ _ _~,,,} ,.,..,~, °`What perks should I have cut? The Localgovemment 2007 2008 Broward County $4.88 $4.88 Coconut Creek 54.37 54:88.. Cooper City $4.77 $4.77 Coral Springs 53.36 53.34 Dania Beach $5.40 55.40 DBVie 54.12 $4,24 Deerfield Beach $4.95 $4.90 Fart Lauderdale .. 54.11 ,54.11. , ,..n.....~nln Gn~rh A4.98 54.98 Firefighter/Paramedic Chet Klug heads out to check equipment after starting his shift at Weston's Fire Station 81. The city has increased fees for fire services, including transport by paramedics, to 5357.46, an increase of 5124.96. community bus fares. Mayor Scott Brook defends the practice because fees are more tar- getedthan property taxes. "If you are not engaged in the service, you are not paying," he said. Some of the fees hikes this year are steep. In Tamarac, for example, pa- tients requiring basic transport from paramedics will pay $600, up from $360 last year. Plantation homeowners caught building with- . out a permit will be charged $300, up from $200, or if it is greater, dou- '; ble the permit fee. Seven cities boosted their fire fees by at least 30 ~; percent. "We're no further ahead with the tax cuts because of the fees," said Lenora Chuchla, 63, of Hollywood, ~. which tacked on an additional $33 ` to yearly garbage bills. "They may sound like small increases, but when you're on a fixed income, it's not." Weston City Manager John Flint said his city's new contract with the Broward Sheriff's Office justifies p the 53.7 percent increase in fire +i fees. He said the old contract lagged behind inflation and. the city last April added a fourth rescue truck. Byron Jaffe, an airline pilot and Weston resident, said the fee hike is "worth it as long as the high level of service is maintained. I don't want my house to burn down because we don't have enough fire services to get here." Broken promises? Voters in January approved a bal- lot initiative that doubled the ments to freeze property taxes at 20061evels, then trim them by 3 per- cent to 9 percent, depending on how much taxes collections increased over the previous five years. The point was "to ensure that lo- calgovernments knew that the ever increasing gravy train is over," said former state Sen. Steve Geller, a South Florida Democrat who pushed the tax relief amendment. However, just five local govern- ments -Deerfield Beach, Lauder- dale-by-the-Sea, Lazy Lake, Pem- broke Park and West Park -passed budgets without raising fees or property tax rates. Pembroke Park Manager Bob Levy said the town "turned to indus- try topick upthe [tax] burden." It aggressively grew its tax base by using incentives to lure large companies. "We could not survive otherwise because about 30 percent of our population lives below the poverty line," he said. On the other hand, Pembroke Pines raised its tax rate to $4.43 per $1,000 taxable property value, up from $4.171ast year. Many owners will still save money because of the new $50,000 homestead exemp- tion, just not as much as they thought. Faced with an $12.6 million shortfall, the city cut about 80 posi- tions, including 67 vacancies; sliced pool hours; and imposed afour-day, 40-hour work week for some em- ployees. It kept its tennis program going byy introducing membership fees of $20 to $50. It also raised its fire fee to $209.63,. up from $153.48. Asked whether the commission considered limiting perks such as --- ~-'- - I;IlU1l;C5. . to burn "I'm not happy," said Debbie Al- ley, 55, an accounting and human down resources administrator. "I am con- . centrated on making mortgage pay- ments and gas is higher. I will cer- because tainly think about fees when [com- missioners] are upfor re-election." we dan't have The choices Chris Edwards, director of tax E'I1Ol~.gh policy at the Cato Institute, a liber- tarian research group, argues that fire cities should consider privatization. instead of increasing fees. services "Swimming pools and any other service where the user can be tO get charged a fee can be privatized," he " Private enterprise runs said. ' here things more efficiently, especially " ' . s competition. when there ~ Jam Ronald Fisher, an economics pro- , Weston resident fessor at Michigan State University, argues that fees and tax rate hikes are not unreasonable if it keeps mu- nicipal services at an acceptable level. For example, he said, if a city cuts its police force, crime may go up. With fewer workers to mow me- dians and repair roads, neighbor-. hoods may fall prey to blight and property values could plunge. The goal is to generate enough revenue to promote economic growth without overburdening homeowners, Fisher said. "Everybody wants something for nothing," he said. "As we know, it's not realistic. If people still want good roads, garbage collection, wa- ter services, they have to pay for it sometime." Jennifer Gollan can be reached atjgol- lan@SunSentinel.com or 954-385-7920. nuuywuvu .Lauderdale takes Lauderdale-by-the-S lauderttip' Lary Lake lighthouse Point Margate Miramar North Lauderdale Oakland Park Parkland Pembroke Park: Pembroke Pines ~tarltalon Pompano Beach Sea Ranch Lakes Southwest Ranches Sunrise Tamarac West Park yJ./J yJ.V~ $5.43. < $5.76 a $4.10 $3.99 5473 55.06. $4.47 $4.34 $3.aa $3:28 $5.55 $6.75 "$5,29 $5.47 $5.53 $6.18 $4.76 .$5:10 $3.40 $3.40 3a.5a 38.50 $4.17 $4.43 $3.91 $4.D9 $3.27 $3.48 36.95. `.: 37.50 $3.00 $3.50 $5.12 $5.d3 $5.04 $5.32 $6.52 , e 36.5 Weston $1.32 $1.52 Wilton Manors. $5.13 ' $5.3`1