The second of three pieces to the puzzle that is the city of Anna Maria’s fiscal 2025-26 budget has been revealed.
Mayor Mark Short Aug. 14 unveiled $8.1 million in projected operating expenses for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
Short revealed the first piece of the city’s fiscal 2025-26 budget — $27,238,000 in projected revenues — during a July 24 city commission meeting.
Commissioners also unanimously voted to set the current 1.65 millage rate as the maximum millage for the upcoming fiscal year during that meeting.
For the past several years, the city has unveiled its projected budget in three parts: revenues, operating expenses and, finally, capital expenses.
While Short projected a spike in revenue for fiscal 2025-26, he said the city only projects a small increase in operating expenses.
In total, recurring operating expenses are projected to increase by 2.95% over this year, according to the mayor.
Part of that change is a 5% increase in payroll and benefits due to a combination of anticipated cost-of-living-based salary adjustments and insurance costs, as well as changes to the city’s organizational structure.
One of those structural changes involves the division of LeAnne Addy’s former position as both city clerk and treasurer.
Addy remains city treasurer, but the municipality hired Amber LaRowe as city clerk and Jeff Charles as finance assistant to spread out her previously overwhelming workload.
According to Addy’s W-2 form from the municipality, she was paid $211,560.49 in 2024.
Short wrote in an Aug. 15 email to The Islander that he had yet to determine Addy’s new salary, given her reduced role.
“Payroll is still not finished as we continue to refine roles and responsibilities,” he wrote.
Short said a couple of the other drivers behind the projected increase in operating expenses include a 9% cost increase for law enforcement services from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the use of Melbourne Beach-based Joe Payne Inc., for building official, inspector and planning services.
Additional drivers include the cost of studies into parking and stormwater drainage, as well as interest in borrowing money to rebuild the city pier.
Despite those increases, the projected lack of any pier operating costs over the next year helps keep the change in overall operating expenses low.
There was no public comment.
After Short unveils the projected budget for capital expenses, the city will hold at least two public readings to consider adoption of a finalized budget for fiscal 2025-26.
The budget must be approved before the upcoming fiscal year begins in October.