A proposed tax cut is on the November ballot. Manatee County hopes you vote 'No'

Tropical storms and hurricanes may be brewing this time of year but inside the doors of Manatee County government, another force is taking hold: budget season.

In a work session Thursday, county commissioners learned the bird's-eye view of their county administrator's recommended budget for fiscal year 2019. It won't be approved until September.

County Administrator Ed Hunzeker told the board he is recommending a $1.4 billion gross budget — which includes reserves, internal services and transfers — with an expected net budget of $723 million, excluding the budget for Port Manatee. This is up from a $1.35 billion gross budget and $614 million net budget in the county administrators recommended budget last year. None of this requires a property tax hike, he said.

There are four main objectives Hunzeker wants to accomplish with this budget: public safety, preparing for voter approval of a homestead exemption increase, investing in county employees and spending more on infrastructure.

Like every other year, no one will be 100 percent happy.

"Nobody's said, 'You're paying us too much, please cut funding,'" Commissioner Betsy Benac said.

But county commissioners will have the opportunity to see what everyone has asked for, and what was denied.

"We don't keep secret what we didn't fund," Hunzeker said.

Hunzeker said Manatee Sheriff Rick Wells requested an additional 66 deputies, 30 of whom would act as school resource officers had the county had agreed to fund the needed increase. Instead, the school district is hiring 30 guardians, or trained security guards without law enforcement authority.

"I look at the SROs as building security. We're into police work, not building security," Hunzeker said.

In his budget recommendation, Hunzeker suggested funding an additional 12 sheriff's deputies, with two going to the city of Anna Maria, in addition to the 15 school resource officers and three supervisors they already pay for as part of a 50-50 agreement with the school district.

The greatest emphasis in Manatee County's budget hangs on public safety and law enforcement, which accounts for 56 percent of the general fund. The recommended budget also includes $225,342 to increase security at the county's most popular parks.

The amount of money brought in by property taxes is expected to see a 9 percent growth translating to $21 million more. But because voters in November will decide on a proposed increase in the homestead exemption — which, if approved, would be for homes that have an assessed value of between $100,000 and $125,000 — Hunzeker expects that the county will face a $11.1 million deficit in fiscal year 2020, more than the projected $8.2 million estimated last year.

"I think the (state) legislature gave the community a disservice," Hunzeker said about the proposal, which threatens to cut government services. "The state lives on sales tax. Local governments live on property taxes."

The county has had a three-year plan to set aside funds to offset the impacts. For the fiscal year 2019, this would be $6.9 million.

Though the millage is not expected to increase, the county also suggests creating a separate parks fund to dedicate more money to parks-related projects.

Citing a need to invest in their staff, this recommended budget suggests providing a 4 percent compensation increase for employees who work for the board of county commission and constitutional offices, and a 4 percent increase in contributions to the employer and employee self-insurance program.

Too, the recommended budget suggests putting aside $4.7 million for stormwater projects.

County commissioners will have a number of public hearings at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., before the budget is adopted in September:

▪ June 5 at 9 a.m.: County budget review with departments

▪ June 6 at 1:30 p.m.: Constitutional officers

▪ June 13 at 9 a.m.: Capital Improvement Plan

▪ June 13 at 6 p.m.: Public hearing

▪ July 31 at 9 a.m.: Reconciliation/adoption of tentative millage

▪ Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.: Public hearing

▪ Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.: Public hearing

This story was originally published May 31, 2018 at 5:01 PM with the headline "A proposed tax cut is on the November ballot. Manatee County hopes you vote 'No'."