Budget Issues around the State

Palm Beach County commission hikes property tax rate 15 percent Sun-Sentinel.com County budget planners blamed the tax rate increase on a need to compensate for a drop in tax revenue stemming from the struggling economy. ... County budget has $12.5 million in cuts, layoffs Clay Today Even more disturbing is the economic crisis Behring says the county will face for fiscal year 2010-2011. He said Florida's housing industry has been among ... Miami-Dade County Commission approves $7.4B budget Zikkir World (blog) Jack Russell and a handful of others used the funding of the $640 million ballpark for the FloridaMarlins as a touchstone for their anger. The county took ...

County Should Help Fill Clinic's Shortfall, Panel Recommends The Ledger By Robin Williams Adams BARTOW | Central Florida Health Care should get $225000 from countyindigent-care funds to partially offset a shortfall at its ... Ford, Foster outline their plans for spending tax dollars more wisely Tampabay.com Citrus County moved to a form of zero-based budgeting in 2008. A third of the county's budget is closely scrutinized every year. "It helps you prioritize," ... Water wars The News Herald That population growth demanded broader county operations; the county's budget has grown from $89 million in 1989 to $294 million for 2010. ...

Around the state

County Budget Fight a Battle Royale NBC Miami By TODD WRIGHT With more than $444 million in deficits facing the county, everything and everyone will be a target going into tonight's final budget hearing ... Editorial: FYI, Martin County taxpayers; another proposed 'fee ... TCPalm The courts in Martin County, just like the courts in every other Florida county, are essentially state operations. The lion's share of the fines collected ... Collier school board votes to raise tax rates Naples Daily News The issue brought many questions from Collier County residents before the School Board held its finalbudget hearing Thursday evening. ... Miami-Dade County highest spender in lobbying US MiamiHerald.com The county's spending, though, may be cut back. The County Commission Thursday is prepared to pass a budget that caps the county's federal lobbying budget ... Clerk's office abolishing 44 positions Tampa Tribune BY CARL ORTH NEW PORT RICHEY - A budget upheaval continues to reshape the staff at the PascoCounty Office of Clerk and Comptroller, where 44 jobs will end ... Windfall restores county services for 2010 fiscal year Tampa Tribune County officials had already factored a $1.2 million rebate into the fiscal 2010 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1. The last-minute injection of $3 million ...

FGCU cuts - and Philly Library Shut

FGCU cuts spending in order to come in under budget
Naples Daily News
By LESLIE WILLIAMS LEE COUNTY — Budget directors braced for stormy financial seas at FloridaGulf Coast University are reporting smooth sailing so far early ...

In Philadelphia:

All Free Library of Philadelphia Branch, Regional and Central Libraries Closed Effective Close of Business October 2, 2009

All Free Library of Philadelphia Customers,

We deeply regret to inform you that without the necessary budgetary legislation by the State Legislature in Harrisburg, the City of Philadelphia will not have the funds to operate our neighborhood branch libraries, regional libraries, or the Parkway Central Library after October 2, 2009. More...

Tax appeals coming

In Miami Dade: More than 4,100 people have visited the county property appraiser’s office to discuss their notices. An additional 10,600 calls have been logged with the county regarding preliminary tax notices. Property owners in Miami-Dade have until Sept. 18 to file appeals. Thousands appeal property taxes as budget hearings near Bizjournals.com In Broward County, which is facing a $23 million budget deficit, 5291 petitions for appeal have been filed with the value adjustment board. ... Cut, cut, cut MiamiHerald.com 24: Florida's jobless rate hit 8.1 percent in December, the highest since September 1992. Today, as the County Commission takes up Mr. Alvarez's budget Top 20 execs at Jackson to volunteer for pay cuts MiamiHerald.com Jackson leaders seek a solution to budget woes as county commissioners question why the hospital system needs more than 100 highly paid executives. ...

Adjustments around the state

Roll back outrageous pay raises
MiamiHerald.com
County commissioners are about to do the heavy lifting on the 2009-10 budget, holding a series of public hearings that will be full of cries of genuine pain ...

City Council weighs lean budget, may hook itself up with laptops ...
Destin Log
At Monday's council workshop on the budget, Councilor Jim Bagby said that cities throughout Floridaare buying laptops for elected officials to use on city ...

Metro report
Palm Beach Post
MANALAPAN - The town commission praised its staff Tuesday for delivering a lean budget for fiscal year 2009-10, though the proposed budget would be balanced ...

Cascading impacts

In affluent Naples:

More hungry students could be starting school Monday

In Sarasota:

Sarasota County schools cut $40 million from this year's budget. In the past two years Manatee has cut $43 million in spending. Fewer data and reading coaches, assistant principals and media specialists means more work for teachers and less help for students. link

Breaking a condominium death spiral

Few of the Southwest Florida’s condominiums are untouched by the housing bust, with experts claiming anywhere from a single unit to 40 percent of any given building’s units abandoned, in foreclosure or having residents who can no longer afford to pay their association dues.

In Osceola:

Fire Rescue station and library hours could be among county budget cuts

"Taking matters into their own hands"

Citizens in Coral Gables, Miami take on budget woes

Property owners, upset about budget woes at the city, county and school board levels, meet to try to tackle the government budgets themselves.

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Coral Gables leaders want more budget updates

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In Gables, balancing budget a painful puzzle

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Coral Gables residents go on e-mail blitz over taxes

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Longtime homeowners face big tax hikes

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Letter: Newly elected official facing witch hunt

BY ELAINE DE VALLE

EDEVALLE@GMAIL.COM

More than a dozen concerned -- some downright angry -- taxpayers met last week to discuss the different budgets proposed by Miami-Dade County, the school board and the cities of Miami and Coral Gables.

And they are taking matters into their own hands.

The residents -- young and old, Democrats and Republicans -- said they want to pore over the upcoming budgets of the city of Coral Gables, the city of Miami, the school board and the county to target wasteful spending amid declining income. South Florida municipalities are cutting services and raising taxes to contend with decreased property tax revenues from the economic downturn.

Orlando and Miami look at Tight Budget Choices

Will cutbacks make Orlando 'The City Shabby'?
Orlando Sentinel
The year before he took office, the annual maintenance budget was nearly $1.9 million. This year, it's about $970000. As of Oct. 1, it will drop to $732000, ...

Miami-Dade District 12 budget meeting draws county-wide interest MiamiHerald.com A District 12 meeting about Miami-Dade County's proposed budget drew interest from activists and residents who live elsewhere. ...

Schools pinched in Sarasota

In Sarasota, hundreds of educators will have to adapt to teaching new grade levels and subjects, or groups of students with special needs, after budget cuts forced the district to move about 280 teachers into new positions for the school year that starts Monday.

from:

The first day of school, and already there's a test

Children's protections suffer in Seminole

Guardian program low on help after state cuts

SEMINOLE COUNTY - The volunteer organization that represents abused, neglected or abandoned children in court is looking for more volunteers in the county.

The Guardian ad Litem program emerged from the state's budget cycle with a $2.81 million cut, which, while significant, was far less than the Florida House of Representative's proposed $7.6 million.

But the cuts caused a shift in volunteers, leaving a hole that needs to be filled with 80 volunteers in total, and 40 for a training session that starts in October.

Health, Safety and Budget Cuts

Broward County cutting school nurses as flu expected to reemerge
Sun-Sentinel.com
By Bob LaMendola and Kathy Bushouse South Florida Sun-Sentinel Although H1N1 flu is expected reappear bigger and stronger after children return to classes, ...

Clay Sheriff Says Budget Cuts May Affect Public Safety
First Coast News
GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL -- The Clay County Sheriff says fewer officers on the streets could soon be a reality for residents. For the first time in 20 years, ...

East Coast Squeeze

Rising debt, sheriff's costs squeeze Palm Beach County budget

Palm Beach County's property tax revenue has more than doubled in the past decade.

But despite the windfall, the county faces its tightest budget year in ages. It's proposing double-digit tax rate increases and preparing to lay off employees, slash bus service and leave some beaches without lifeguards.

"There are certain level of services that the county residents have come to expect," [Sheriff] Bradshaw said. "Those have continually gotten more expensive over the years." More...

To ease the pain, county commissioners last month tentatively signed off on a 14.9 percent rise in the countywide property tax rate.

Parents pitch in for schools - inequities arise

As South Florida school budgets shrink, parents step in

As school budgets dwindle, South Florida parents are contributing for classroom supplies and educational programs.

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Students' 'Rally in Tally' is close-up lesson in political reality

BY KATHLEEN MCGRORY

KMCGRORY@MIAMIHERALD.COM

When the teachers at Herbert A. Ammons Middle School needed supplies, the parents delivered.

Cameras for the art department.

Books for the library.

Flamenco dresses for the Spanish club.

The parents bought thousands of dollars worth of classroom goodies for the southwest Miami-Dade school.

``In this economy, you don't want to ask parents for money,'' outgoing PTA President Liz Smith said. ``But that's what we've had to do.''

As budget cuts hammer South Florida schools, more and more parents are pitching in for classroom expenses. Some are spending the summer organizing fundraisers. Others are cutting the checks themselves. ...

``This will exacerbate the differences in the education that children receive,'' said Julian Weissglass, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a national expert on equity in education.

``Affluent families will be able to subsidize their schools. The less affluent families won't.'' ...

The Miami-Dade district recently cut about $166 million from its budget. Broward had a $158 million shortfall.

more...

Miami looks at steep cuts in cultural grants

Proposed budget would eliminate $11 million in cultural grants

By Zachary S. Fagenson
The head of Miami-Dade's Cultural Affairs Council says he doubts county commissioners will carry out Mayor Carlos Alvarez' proposal to eliminate $11 million in cultural grant money.
Arts and cultural groups inject too many dollars into the local economy to fall victim to Mayor Alvarez's cuts, said Adolfo Henriques, Cultural Affairs Council chair....

If carried out, the cuts would spell trouble for nearly 1,000 cultural groups of all shapes and sizes....

The mayor's cost-cutting measures also remove general-fund subsidies to Miami Art Museum, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and Miami Science Museum. more...

Prudence in Pinellas, says Commish

Pinellas County did not spend all of the new tax revenue generated during the past few years, but saved a substantial portion of the new property taxes collected. About $65 million was allocated to the county's general fund reserves between 2004 and 2006. This "savings account" is set aside to better position Pinellas County to recover after a hurricane or other natural disaster, to maintain cash flow at the beginning of each new fiscal year and to handle other emergencies. During the last two years, the county has strategically spent down a portion of our reserves, while maintaining a minimum reserve of 15 percent of the general fund balance. More...

In Pinellas even the snakes aren't safe

The displays are being ripped out. There are gaping holes in the walls where they used to be. Only an aquarium remains in the center of the dismantled room, still featuring, for the moment, largemouth bass, Florida gar, bluegill and assorted other fish and turtles.

The signs on the wall give the explanation: Pinellas County budget cuts. ...

People often ask: What happened to ALL THAT MONEY that local governments in Florida raked in when property values were soaring?

Well, here's the answer: We took it back from them. The "runup" of those years has now been canceled out. More...

Communities bug out over cuts to mosquito control

Lee Chastant and fellow bug battlers across the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, up the East Coast in Connecticut and on the Great Plains of South Dakota are predicting a bumper crop of the always annoying and sometimes deadly pests. And even in places where dwindling tax revenues haven't forced mosquito control budget cuts, they're concerned about keeping up with the summer swarm.

"We're funded by county taxes, but by the end of last month, I'd blown through my whole chemical budget," said Chastant, a veteran mosquito fighter from Beaumont, Texas. "And we're just now hitting the mosquito season." more...

One less parade

NORTH PORT -- Commissioners eliminated the 2010 Fourth of July Parade and next year's city-sponsored 5K run during a budget workshop Thursday. more...