The city of Anna Maria’s fiscal 2024-25 budget ordinance is two votes from adoption.
Mayor Dan Murphy presented Aug. 8 the finalized version of the city’s $21,240,929 proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The budget is based on a tentative 1.65 millage rate and $3,855,638 in ad valorem taxes.
The millage rate is the amount per $1,000 of property value used to calculate property taxes.
The city set a 1.65 maximum millage rate in July, guaranteeing at least a 19.52% reduction from its current rate of 2.05 mills.
The owner of a property appraised at $500,000 would pay $825 in property taxes under the 1.65 millage rate.
Murphy again congratulated city commissioners for implementing a tax reduction by setting the 1.65 maximum millage rate.
“What you did is remarkable,” he said.
One of the city’s largest planned expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year is $3,654,059 to improve the Pine Avenue corridor, including Spring and Magnolia avenues, funded with almost $2.7 million in outstanding state appropriations and $1 million in lump sum carryover.
The municipality also received more than $2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair stormwater drainage infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Idalia last summer.
Despite the tax reduction, the city’s $5,827,300 of proposed operating expenses are 5% more than its end-of-year estimate for fiscal 2023-24 due to a 5% salary increase across the board for municipal employees.
Another reason for the increased operating expenses is a 14% increase in public safety costs due to a $184,042 contract increase for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to police the municipality.
There was no public comment.
The city will hold a first reading and public hearing for its final budget ordinance at 5:01 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
A second reading and final public hearing for the budget will be at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, also at city hall.
Directions to attend via Zoom are on the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.
Anna Maria’s budget numbers
| Revenues | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Ad Valorem Taxes | $4,202,723 | $3,855,638 |
| Intergovernmental | $748,528 | $748,528 |
| Grants & Rebates | $65,560 | $65,560 |
| Franchise Fees | $165,000 | $165,000 |
| Licenses, misc. | $1,439,025 | $1,577,000 |
| Stormwater | $1,741,534 | $3,000,230 |
| Fines | $290,500 | $342,000 |
| Interest, misc. | $6,036,425 | $8051885 |
| Expenditures | ||
| General Government | $2,849,214 | $2,812,444 |
| Public Safety | $1,361,780 | $1,545,822 |
| Public Works | $4,426,789 | $4,682,043 |
| Planning & Dev. | $984,506 | $1,015,219 |
| Parks & Recreation | $454,525 | $461,345 |
| Stormwater | $1,741,534 | $3,000,230 |
| Capital Outlay | $2,678,603 | $4,096,394 |
| Debt Service | $192,344 | $192,344 |
| Total Reserves | $3,202,111 | $3,435,088 |
| Total Budget | $17,891,406 | $21,240,929 |