Monroe County commissioners finalized a $672.2 million spending plan throughout a closing price range listening to on Sept. 10 in Key Largo.
Commissioner Holly Raschein’s proposal to scale back the property tax price to 2.6929, or $269 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed worth, was supported by her colleagues. The transfer decreased property tax income and county spending by roughly $2 million.
The price range consists of the Board of County Commissioners; the constitutional officers, which embody the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and clerk of courtroom; and different appropriations for the Vacationer Growth Council, capital initiatives and reserves. Every entity has its personal unbiased price range throughout the complete price range.
General, the price range is $43.6 million lower than final 12 months’s authorized $714 million spending plan. A complete of 45 full-time positions had been eradicated. County officers additionally discontinued the Freebee rideshare service within the Decrease Keys whereas axing the growth within the Higher Keys. There have been reductions in cost-of-living pay raises for workers who work for constitutional officers, in addition to consolidations and mergers inside county departments.
And 50%, or $1.1 million, was minimize from funding for human providers nonprofits. Every year, the county’s Human Companies Advisory Board doles out funding to important nonprofits that serve weak populations within the Keys.
Cuts by county officers had been made amid forecasts of decreases in gross sales and mattress taxes and state-shared revenues. As well as, the state’s Division of Authorities Effectivity is zeroing in on authorities spending throughout the Sunshine State. Particularly, the state’s DOGE is focusing on pointless use of taxpayer funds to assist nongovernmental organizations.
“Monroe County continues to ship important providers with one of many lowest tax charges in Florida whereas assembly the extraordinary calls for of serving our 84,000 residents, and a purposeful inhabitants, which is almost double that measurement, that features our 4 million guests a 12 months,” mentioned County Administrator Christine Hurley. “This price range displays effectivity cuts, strengthened reserves, and our unwavering dedication to public security and core tasks that preserve our island communities protected and accessible.”
The price range maintains the identical countywide millage price as final 12 months whereas producing $2 million in further emergency reserves, within the occasion of a hurricane or different catastrophe. It will improve reserves to $12 million, which hasn’t been elevated since its authentic implementation in 2008.
The authorized price range gives pay raises for EMS and legislation enforcement personnel to draw and retain a professional workforce. Funds are additionally included for a brand new hearth station on Sugarloaf Key and varied upkeep and enchancment initiatives on the Monroe County Detention Heart on Inventory Island. Extra data is at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/price range.