A tax increase may be in store for Anna Maria.
Mayor Dan Murphy presented tentative revenues for the city’s 2019-20 budget at a July 25 meeting, including a proposed 2.05 ad valorem millage rate, which would be a tax increase for property owners.
Millage is the percent per $1,000 of property value used to calculate property taxes. The owner of property appraised at $500,000 with a 2.05 millage rate would pay $1,025 in property taxes.
To avoid a tax increase, the city must adopt a rollback rate, the rate needed to produce the same income and spending as the current budget.
At Islander press time, that rate was not available.
The total taxable value of Anna Maria properties is $1,200,147,787, including $24,860,747 in new taxable construction.
With the proposed 2.05 millage, the city would collect $3,000,369 in property taxes, a $754,932 increase over the $2,245,437 collected in 2018-19.
Property tax revenue is projected to account for more than 41% of the city’s expected $7,228,885.61 in revenue for 2019-20.
Murphy noted the city’s projected revenue is $497,552.07 less than collected in 2018-19 because of one-time funding for the construction of the Anna Maria City Pier, which is set for completion by February 2020.
Commissioner Dale Woodland said the same effect can be expected for the 2020-21 budget since the 2019-20 budget accounts for $725,000 in funding for the pier’s construction.
Of that $725,000, the state will provide $285,000 and the Manatee County Tourist Development Council is expected to provide $435,000. Sissy Quinn, a resident and historical preservationist, also raised $5,000 toward pier construction costs on GoFundMe.
The tentative revenues also show a $70,949.19 decrease in stormwater utility revenue. Murphy said the city used $70,000 of reserve funds in 2018-19 for stormwater projects.
Murphy said no vote was needed on the tentative numbers at the meeting. He said a date and time for the first public hearing regarding the budget would be set the week of July 29.
I don’t need to be there to vote on the the proposed tax increase in Anna Maria. Dale Woodland has always said “I’ll raise taxes when you beg me to”. That is why he has been elected so many times and always will be. As long as the county continues take a vast amount of money out of islanders, give us nothing but increased tourism and other things that will benefit them in return with no regard for what we want or need I am opposed to a tax increase. Yes they paid a bit on the pier but come on – it’s the number one tourist attraction in Manatee County so of course they want to continue to drag more spenders out to it. That item alone costs the local tax payers hugely. All the Island cities need to hold the county’s feet to the fire to provide funding for things like infrastructure that the huge tourism demand puts on us. I am not willing to pay one red cent for any of it. Nobody represents us at the county. I call it taxation without representation and I’m tired of it. But that’s just me.
Is my math correct or am I missing something from this article on 2020 property tax for Anna Maria?
With a $2,247,437 tax collected in 2019 the city is proposing a 2020 tax collection of $3,000,369.
That’s close to 33% increase!
If this is correct then the city is accelerating the reordering of the city Anna Maria and property ownership.