‘An exercise in futility:’ Sparks fly as commissioners vote to adopt county budget

The Manatee Board of County Commissioners public hearing on the proposed 2018-19 budget devolved into an argument over how the elected officials carry out the budget process Tuesday evening.

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh was the first to object to how she and her peers process the budget every year. Her only ally was Commissioner Robin DiSabatino, who said “a lot of it is an exercise in futility.”

Both commissioners took umbrage with their perceived lack of resolution when they flagged line items on the county budget provided by County Administrator Ed Hunzeker. A vote to adopt the proposed $1.4 billion gross budget passed 5-2 anyway.

That budget includes reserves, interval services and transfer and comes in at a net budget of $738 million. The property tax rate remains unchanged.

Baugh said she believes commissioners should do a better job of fighting for the improvements their constituents would like to see.

“How do we make a difference, commissioners? We go through it every year,” she said. “We sit here and every year (Commissioner) Carol Whitmore says the same thing, and so does (Commissioner) Betsy Benac, and they’re right. I know the politics of the board and I don’t want to get involved in that, but I do want us to do our jobs. That’s it.”

DiSabatino had similar concerns. She cited the board’s refusal to use Southwest TIF funds to pay for more sheriff’s deputies in her district, as an example.

“I’m very disappointed in the way this has always transpired,” DiSabatino said. “Our No. 1 and 2 jobs are public safety and to approve a budget, and I don’t think we’re doing either one of them.”

Benac and Whitmore were the most ardent to fight back against claims of financial impasse when it came to making changes to the county’s plan.

“I don’t understand the statement that we as commissioners don’t have the opportunity to do what we want with this budget,” Benac said, arguing that it’s each commissioner’s job to propose the changes their constituents want to see.

Benac said she did recall DiSabatino proposing an increase in taxes to cover the county’s expenses but that she believes it would make more sense to take a harder look at where the county could cut spending and apply it elsewhere.

Manatee commissioners would have a better idea of what their constituents want if they met with them more often, DiSabatino said. The retiring commissioner said she looked forward to seeing how commissioners manage the budget in her absence next year.

“You’ve all been very stubborn and haven’t given up one cent,” DiSabatino quipped. “I’ll just sit back and I’m going to watch next year and see how you’re all going to deal with less money coming in and where you’re going to cut or you’re going to have to add.”

The adopted budget is as follows:

• Public safety — $176 million
• Physical environment — $162 million
• Capital Outlay — $151 million
• General Government — $85 million
• Other — $63 million
• Public Transportation — $53 million
• Human Services — $26 million
• Culture & Recreation — $22 million

This story was originally published September 19, 2018 at 9:41 AM with the headline "‘An exercise in futility:’ Sparks fly as commissioners vote to adopt county budget."