Board Blazes Through First Budget Hearing

A year after one of the most heated budget hearings in recent memory, the County Commission blazed through its first budget hearing in 63 minutes Thursday evening.

After hearing comments from a handful of residents, commissioners adopted a millage rate of 6.32 mills - the same as last year - and an overall balanced budget of $384.5 million.

The rate is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value, so a property worth $150,000 with a $50,000 homestead exemption would see a tax bill of $632.

Only about half of the seats in the commission chambers were filled. When Commission Chairman Chris Kingsley asked for public input on the millage rate, no one stood up.

A few minutes later, when he asked for input on the budget, 10 people spoke.

Among them was Jeff Uekerus of Spring Hill, who told commissioners that when it comes to tax relief, "a little is better than none."

But the public still wants more, he said.

"I've had to cut back on my budget," Uekerus said. "I look for you to cut back on yours."

A few minutes earlier, Budget Director George Zoettlein flipped through a PowerPoint presentation to try to show how the county had started that process.

Tax revenue is down nearly $13.6 million from last year due to falling property values, the voter's passage of Amendment 1, and the commissioners' adoption of a state plan to implement an additional $50,000 property tax exemption for seniors over 65.

The budget has been trimmed by 9 percent since last year. The county has 67 fewer full-time positions than it did last year.

County Administrator David Hamilton called the 2009 budget "the first of a two-year transition to a leaner operation."

Commissioner Dave Russell pointed out during the meeting that the rate is nearly 1.5 mills less than the county could have levied under the caps set by the legislature and by voters through Amendment 1.

The atmosphere and duration of the hearing was a marked change from last year, when dozens of residents got up to holler for tax relief and pushed the meeting until well past midnight.

Russell and other commissioners had said they didn't expect a repeat of that this year. Residents, they say, are seeing progress on the county's part to reduce the size of government and work toward a lower tax rate. But the brevity of Thursday's hearing still surprised Russell, who took it as a good sign.

"There's a different temperament out there," he said.

The public will get another chance to weigh in during the county's final budget hearing slated for 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Government Center, 20 N. Main St., Brooksville.