Manatee County property values unexpectedly hit slower growth

For the first time in at least the last five years, property values in unincorporated Manatee County increased by a smaller percentage than the previous year.

In fact, in projections based on the July 1 numbers, the taxable property values countywide increased more than those in unincorporated Manatee County. For the fiscal year 2018 budget, taxable property values countywide increased by 8.56 percent, while those in the unincorporated area increased by 8.37 percent.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney said during Tuesday’s commission budget meeting. “We interpret what the market is doing.”

But as the Manatee County Commission nears final adoption of budget in September, this difference means less revenue for the county than what was initially projected when County Administrator Ed Hunzeker prepared the budget. He based it on a 9 percent increase over prior year values. The new proposed net budget for fiscal year 2018 is $614.7 million, according to county documents.

“The trend line that we thought we were watching, that values would go up greater than last year, didn’t happen,” Hunzeker said.

On Tuesday, the commission voted to keep the county millage rate unchanged at 7.0435, which includes the 0.6109 mill for the unincorporated municipal services tax. With Commissioner Carol Whitmore absent, Commissioner Robin DiSabatino cast the lone dissenting vote as she proposed a slight increase, which would equate to about $14 a year for someone with a $150,000 home, to cover some of the unfunded items.

“In reality, they want the services,” DiSabatino said. “They want a better quality of life.”

With the total property tax revenue expected next year still being lower than what the county collected 2007, Hunzeker said they thought the projected 9 percent increase would be low.

“We didn’t get there, so we are where we are,” he said.

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners also reviewed the list of unfunded requests they flagged in June to see if they can find a way to fund the items. The pool at Lincoln Park is one of the items previously unfunded that now has $1.85 million in funding recommended.

The commission will continue reviewing the unfunded requests on Aug. 24.

“There’s never been enough money to fund everything,” Hunzeker said. “There are people that never get everything they want. You have a lot of unfunded decision units and a lot of flagged items.”

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells has unfunded personnel positions he’d like to fill. He spoke to the commission Tuesday about the possibility of using funds from the old South County Community Redevelopment Agency to fund additional deputies in the small area, which produces about 10 percent of the crime countywide.

“We definitely have made progress,” Wells said. “Violent crime is what I’m trying to combat right now.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Manatee County property values unexpectedly hit slower growth."