Anna Maria’s spending plan for fiscal 2026-27 is rounding into form.
Department heads presented $17,988,491 in projected expenses for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, during a July 30 budget workshop.
Commissioners Gary McMullen and Kathleen Morgan-Johnson attended the workshop at city hall. Commissioners Christopher Arendt, John Lynch and Charlie Salem were remote participants.
City treasurer Randy Maxon noted that, as of his fourth pass at the budget, the projected spending plan would result in an $836,307 deficit. That is worse than the $275,170 projected deficit from his third pass at the budget, despite a reduction in property insurance premiums.
Maxon identified the primary driver behind the increased deficit as the 3% addition — about $510,000 — to the city’s dwindling reserves.
He added that such a deficit was a part of the city’s budget building process and would not appear in the final budget, which must balance expenditures and revenues.
Maxon also presented a $533,314 spending plan for the treasurer department. He said about $430,000 of that budget can be attributed to salaries and benefits — a third of which will go toward a new position focused on grant management and capital projects compliance.
Mayor Mark Short then presented a projected $696,657 budget for the city’s building department.
The city outsources its building department services to Tampa-based Joe Payne Inc., which is paid 49.5% of the city’s annual building permit fees.
With $1 million in projected building permit fees for the upcoming fiscal year, JPI would earn $495,000 from permit fees and $84,000 for engineering services.
Short also presented a $349,127 projected budget for the commission, which includes salaries for elected officials.
The city will not increase salaries in fiscal 2026-27. The mayor is paid $19,600 annually and city commissioners are paid $4,800 a year, totaling $43,600 for the year.
Short added that the commission department’s budget would contain attorney fees and lobbying costs, including $180,000 to the Winter Park-based Vose Law Firm for legal services and $60,000 to Tallahassee-based Corcoran Partners for lobbying services. Those expenses were previously allocated elsewhere throughout the budget.
Lastly, Short presented a $270,046 projected budget for the parks and recreation department. He said a portion of the department’s spending plan would be from impact fees, but the majority would be paid using ad valorem property tax revenue.
The parks and rec budget includes $137,001 to fund special events, headlined by $45,000 for citywide holiday lighting, $16,000 for eight community block parties, $15,000 for Veterans Day, $14,000 to sponsor Bayfest and $10,000 for an event to celebrate the opening of the rebuilt city pier.
Next, deputy clerk Barbara Jeffries presented a $267,523 budget for the clerk department. That marks a decrease from the $557,826 spending plan this year. The decrease can be attributed to $113,308 less in salaries and wages, $42,344 less in health insurance costs, as well as the reallocation of attorney, lobbyist and property insurance expenses.
City clerk Amber LaRowe then presented a $67,675 projected spending plan for a new human resources department. LaRowe said that, before this year, human resources was primarily an administrative function. Now it is a standalone department.
City planner Ashley Austin then presented a $442,001 projected budget for the municipality’s community development planning department — about $15,000 less than this year’s budget.
Code enforcement manager Tom Collins presented a $623,357 projected spending plan for his department. That is a nearly $250,000 decrease from the department’s $870,827 budget for fiscal 2025-26, even though it is now in charge of handling vacation rental inspection and registration activities.
Finally, public works general manager Dean Jones presented a $908,145 projected budget for his department. It would be a $281,367 decrease from this year’s public works spending plan — which totaled $1,189,512 — due to reductions of about $34,000 in health insurance and $108,000 in property insurance costs, as well as $109,000 less for contracted services.
The city has two more budget workshops — one on citywide expenses at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, and another on capital projects and the city’s five-year plan at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11.
The first public hearing for a tentative budget ordinance will be at 5:01 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.
A second reading and potentially final hearing will be at 5:01 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.
All workshops and hearings will be at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
