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Highlands Today

Sebring Approves Budget And Tax Rate

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: September 5, 2008

SEBRING - With one council member voting "no" to the budget, the Sebring City Council approved the city's 2008-09 budget and property tax rate.

The council approved a millage rate of 5.6016 mils, which includes the decrease of .0255 mils to offset the implementation of the fire protection assessment at 1 percent.

Without the reduction .0255 mils the millage rate would have been the same as the 2007-08 fiscal year rate of 5.6271.

The total city budget for 2008-09 is $26,433,902, which is about $5.33 million less than the 2007-08 budget.

Budgets can fluctuate from year to year because of big capital improvements in one year's budget and not in the next year's, Mike Eastman said.
Councilwoman Margie Rhoades suggested returning to the budget the $50,000 renovation project of the U.S. 27 fire station (Station 15). The project was voted out of the budget by the city council a few weeks ago in Rhodes' absence.

"We have the money," she said. There's a need and the governor supports putting government construction projects on the fast track to help the economy."

The motion passed with "no" votes by Councilmen Dan Andrews and Scott Stanley.

Also, Andrews voted against the city budget because it included no provision for paying the electric and security costs of Harder Hall while the city seeks a buyer for the historic hotel and property.

How are you going to pay the electric and the security? Do you have the money to do that now, Councilman John Griffin asked Eastman.

Eastman replied it will probably come from the grant money, which is invested, some of that is in general fund investment. "We might have to advance some from that until we sell it."

Councilman Andrews asked: "How does this work Mike, if we had nothing budgeted and we have a power bill that comes in and we go to pay that power bill? How does it work? Just override the budget?"

Eastman responded, "the main reason we have a budget and a purchasing policy is so we can control those numbers. It doesn't matter to me. It's a judgment thing. I don't think it's totally necessary, but if you feel more comfortable budgeting, I'll go ahead and budget it."

Andrews said, "I think we need to budget for what our costs will be."

The only change to the budget at Wednesday night's budget hearing was the addition of $50,000 for the renovation of Fire Station 15.

"I just didn't agree with some of the additions that were added - renovation of the fire station," Andrews said following the hearing. He also said the Harder Hall costs should have been in the budget.

Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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