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Home My WebLink About2007 07 16 Final ReportFINAL REPORT OF THE ~1`~INTE~ 04 S'0'A 2 G~ U ~ Incorporated 1959 AD HOC WINTER SPRINGS CITIZEN PROPERTY TAX REFORM MITIGATION STUDY COMMITTEE July 16, 2007 Michael S. Blake, Chairman TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter of Transmittal Recommendations 4 Appendices------------------------------------------------------ 04 ~,NTeR s'0~A ~. 2 ~- O U ~ Trxorpvraled \ 1959 _ / ~_ Michael S. Blake Chairman July 16, 2007 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 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. 1 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, _ . jNi%1 f' Michael S. Blake, Chairman Ad Hoc Winter Springs Citizen Property Tax Reform Mitigation Study Committee 2 REPORT OF THE AD HOC WINTER SPRINGS CITIZEN PROPERTY TAX REFORM MITIGATION STUDY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS 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 ALTERNATIVE 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. 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 I. 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. 6 APPENDICES APPENDICES Appendix 1,________________________________________________________________________________ Presentation: Mitigation Alternatives Appendix 2_____________________________________________________________________Presentation: Status Update -June 28, 2007 Appendix 3,___________________________________________________________________________June 16, 2007, Department Presentations 1. City Clerk 2. City Commission 3. City Manager 4. Finance 5. General Services 6. Information Services 7. Public Works 8. Community Development-Planning 9. Community Development-Urban Beautification 10. Parks & Recreation 11. Fire 12. Police Appendix 4---- ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------June 16, 2007 Meeting Wrap Up Appendix 5 ____ __________________________________________ ___________________________Presentation: Budget & Financial Review Appendix 6---- ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------Presentation: Fishkind & Assoc. Appendix 7,____ __________________________________________ ______ Presentation: Property Tax Reform - An Honest Look Appendix 8,____ __________________________________________ ___________________________ Presentation: Budget/Financial Overview Appendix 9---- ------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------Resolution 2007-15 Appendix 10- ------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------Meeting Minutes 1. April 26, 2007 2. May 3, 2007 3. May 17, 2007 4. June 16, 2007 5. June 28, 2007 6. July 5, 2007