TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

County, School Looking At Slimmer Budgets

ADVERTISEMENT

By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: February 3, 2008

SEBRING — It appears Highlands County will be taking in about $300,000 less than last year, according to calculations provided by Highlands County Budget Manager Tim Mechling.

Voters decided Tuesday to cut their own property taxes, which will cost Highlands County an additional $4.7 million.

At the school board office, Mike Averyt, director of business and operations, is estimating shortfalls of as high as $4 million.

The Revenue Collection Report generated by Mechling estimates the county will collect $530,000 less due to falling property values in 2007-08, compared with the previous fiscal year. The report recaps the county's 20 major revenue streams.

Estimated collections will be greater in solid waste assessments by $220,000, state revenue sharing by $45,000, landfill tipping fees by $165,000, the half-cent sales tax by $60,000, the local option sales tax by $531,000, the local option sales tax by $215,000, the half-cent gas tax by $29,000, and the Placid Utilities water and sewer by $46,000.

Landfill tipping fees are off by an estimated $120,000, recycling landfill material by $104,000, the 5th and 6th cent gas tax by $44,000, the 6-cent gas tax by $56,000, the ninth cent gas tax by $15,000, the 7th cent county gas tax by $6,000, EMS fees by $291,000, the E-911 tax by $72,000, building permits by $44,000, the state share of mobile home tax by $4,000, and the local communication services tax by $12,000.

The bottom line is that Mechling estimates, based on collections from October through December, the county will lose $316,000 in 2007-08 tax revenues, in addition to the $4.7 million loss in property tax revenues McIntyre has predicted.

The falling revenues are due to the recession-like economy.

"When the economy gets tight, people stop spending," Mechling said, "and they stop traveling."

That also accounts for why gasoline tax revenues are down.

Schools

Schools are taking four hits, said Averyt. First, the schools enrolled 18 fewer students this year than last year. Based on a state formula, 2 percent more were predicted. Enrollment determines how much money the state will give to the schools each year.

Additionally, the schools expect to lose $1.4 million this year due to Amendment 1. Also, property values have been falling in 2007, so fewer taxes will be collected.

Finally, sales tax collections are also off, so the state has less revenue to share with the schools, Averyt said.

The school has a $100 million operating budget, so $4 million represents 4 percent of the annual budget.

Avon Park

The 2007 rollback of the property millage by the Florida Legislature cost Avon Park $314,000, said interim City Manager Sarah Adelt.

The loss of state sales tax revenues and state revenue sharing amounts to another $41,000, and the vote on Amendment One is expected to cost the city another $194,000, Adelt said.

"Plus, some our (State Board of Administration) funds, are still frozen, about $376,000," Adelt said. "We could potentially see $916,000 worth of lost revenue. It's a major concern for us."

The city council will talk about the problem at their Feb. 11 meeting.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT