The third piece of Anna Maria’s tentative budget for fiscal 2023-24 has been revealed.
Now, the city’s budget creation process is in its final steps.
City commissioners reached consensus Aug. 3 to direct staff to move forward with $6,594,523.80 in proposed operating expenses in the municipal budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The city commission has already held two meetings to discuss a 2023-24 budget and millage rate ahead of public hearings in September.
At the meeting in June, the commission voted to move forward with budgeting $7,293,426.20 in total tentative capital expenses for fiscal 2023-24.
At the meeting in July, commissioners voted to move forward with $14,626,014.44 in total revenue and a 2.0500 millage rate, which will amount to a tax increase for property owners.
Mayor Dan Murphy presented the city’s tentative plans for operating expenses at the Aug. 3 meeting.
The city plans to spend $522,733.33 more next year to cover operating expenses, a 9% increase over the $6,071,790.47 spending this year.
That increase is fueled by two proposals:
- A 6% raise in salaries and wages across the board for employees, including a 3% base salary raise and a 3% lump sum payment on Oct. 1, as well as an increase in the city’s coverage of employee healthcare costs, from 85% to 95%;
- A $212,646 increase in cost for law enforcement from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Murphy said the proposed raise and increase in healthcare coverage would better attract and retain employees, including vacancies in the code enforcement and public works departments.
“Between those two measures, I feel comfortable that we should be able to retain employees and attract new employees,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s going to be a panacea, but it will certainly put us on the right track.”
Murphy said the same logic was behind the increased cost for the MCSO’s services — in an effort to attract and retain employees, the sheriff’s office plans to raise salaries and wages in the upcoming fiscal year.
He said the only way the MCSO could reduce the proposed cost of the contract would be to reduce employees, but that couldn’t be done without potentially impacting public safety.
“I think this is a good thing and I support it totally,” Murphy said of the proposed increase for MCSO services. “There’s not a lot of alternatives here.”
Another increase is the addition of $75,000 for a feasibility study into options proposed by Commissioner Charlie Salem for attracting and retaining long-term residents.
The study will look into the feasibility of a marketing plan to attract new residents to the city and the viability of potential incentives — including grants, tax breaks and building code allowances — for encouraging existing residents to stay.
The budget item was added under the city’s tentative administration expenses for fiscal 2023-24.
There was no public comment.
City commissioners also unanimously voted to reschedule the municipality’s two public budget hearings earlier in September to complete the process ahead of deadline.
Now, the city’s first public hearing to discuss a proposed 2023-24 budget ordiance and millage rate will be at 5:01 p.m. Thursday Sept. 7, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
The city will hold a second hearing to discuss and potentially adopt a budget ordinance and millage rate at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, also at city hall.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found on the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.
Into the numbers…
2022-23 end-of-year estimates
Taxable property value: $1,732,339,169
Operating expenses: $6,071,790.47
Administrative expenses: $1,874,405.41
Building department expenses: $941,028
Code enforcement expenses: $679,232.10
Commission expenses: $81,880
Debt service expenses: $192,344.04
Parks and recreation expenses: $440,345
Public safety expenses: $1,149,013.92
Public works expenses: $713,542
2023-24 proposed budget
Taxable property value: $2,050,108,891
Operating expenses: $6,594,523.80
Administrative expenses: $2,064,812.50
Building department expenses: $984,506.20
Code enforcement expenses: $702,521.36
Commission expenses: $81,880
Debt service expenses: $192,344.04
Parks and recreation expenses: $454,525
Public safety expenses: $1,361,779.92
Public works expenses: $752,154.78
— Ryan Paice
