Bradenton’s record $134 million budget heads to final Sept. 19 hearing

It may look like a record setting fiscal year for the city of Bradenton, which moved forward what is expected to be a $134 million budget to a final hearing on Sept. 19, but this year’s budget include items not presented last year.

The budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, includes more than $6 million of half-cent sales tax revenue and more than $5 million of Community Redevelopment Agency budgets, which are included in the city’s overall budget for the first time since the city assumed control of the city’s three CRAs.

The city did not increase the millage rate, keeping it at 5.8976. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of appraised property value.

However, the city is still increasing taxes, according to state statute. The roll back rate is 5.5545, or 6.1 percent, meaning the city would have had to lower the millage rate by 6.1 percent in order for it not to be a tax increase.

Economic Development Director Carl Callahan said there are items in this coming year’s budget that are significant. They include $12 million for a new City Centre parking garage, $1 million for the city’s paving program, $325,000 for new servers for the Bradenton Police Department and information technology department and $575,000 for the city’s new emergency radio system.

Cost increases from union negotiations include an increase in the police budget from $16.2 million to $16.8 million and the fire department’s budget rose from $9.2 million to $9.6 million. General fund expenditures will include $10 million for public works infrastructure projects to include $2 million for new injection wells and $2.5 million for waste water plant improvements.

“This is a significant investment in the waste water treatment plant for the long term,” Callahan said, noting that there will be some changes when the final budget is presented on Sept. 19. Callahan said there are still carryover funds that will increase the budget by “a few hundred thousand dollars.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Bradenton’s record $134 million budget heads to final Sept. 19 hearing."