By Steve Plunkett

Renovations to Town Hall will wait at least a year following Police Chief Craig Hartmann’s decision to pull the $825,000 project from the proposed 2013 budget.

By then, however, voters may not have the power to approve or deny the expense.

“Though this [renovation] is still an important priority for us, it is more important for the fiscal health of the town to address the ongoing deficit to the town operating budget,” Hartmann wrote in an Aug. 13 memo to Town Manager Kathleen Weiser.

“Hopefully in future budget years funding will be available to complete this needed project.”

At a workshop the week before, Commissioner Louis Stern asked for budget changes to avoid using the town’s reserves. Weiser’s original proposal balanced operating expenses with property taxes while taking $1 million in reserves for the Town Hall work, repairs to the town’s walk path and increased code enforcement.

The town used $710,000 from its reserves this year to pay mostly for operating expenses.

The Financial Advisory Board urged commissioners to set a tax rate that would not use savings for day-to-day expenses.

 “I know that there’s no way we cannot raise taxes somewhat, but I think we have to take into account that we would like to not use any, if possible, of our funds from the surplus funds,” Stern said.

During the Aug. 21 budget workshop, the commission agreed on a tax rate of $3.95 per $1,000 in taxable property for 2012-’13 (up from this year’s $3.40.) No money will need to come from reserves and no services or personnel will need to be cut. 

Commissioners discussed money-saving proposals, including cutting back hours at the library, post office and town hall, as well as reducing personnel, but none of the suggestions won support.

The commission room was filled with residents who spoke in support of the library.

“We have an outstanding facility stocked with the latest books, CDs and movies,” said resident Mike Stein. “We have an active Friends of the Library and run outstanding programs. Our residents use our facilities as a community room for cards, exercise, teaching and conversation. It is an invaluable asset that enhances our reputation, improves our property values and serves as the center of our community for intellectual and social pursuits.”

Stein, and others who sung the library’s praises, were met with applause.

“What I got from you today is ‘don’t touch the library, don’t touch services and don’t touch personnel.’” said Vice Mayor Ron Brown. “We don’t want our town going down a road that’s worse and worse.”

At an earlier meeting, commissioners approved on first reading ordinances to drop the need for voter approval of big-ticket items and to drop Highland Beach’s requirement that property taxes be no more than $5 per $1,000 of taxable value. Florida law limits local taxes to $10 per $1,000.

Both ordinances, which will come up for final approval Sept. 4, are changes to the town charter.

“This is the only community around here who has any language regarding spending at referendum whatsoever. You go up and down this coast, this language does not exist,” Ron Clark, who chaired the Charter Review Board, had told commissioners.

Currently any project costing $350,000 or more needs voter approval in a referendum. The charter committee recommended raising the trigger to 10 percent of the operating budget, this year roughly $1 million, with a commission majority needed for projects up to 7 percent and a supermajority, 4-1 vote, required for projects between 7 percent and 10 percent.

In 2010 voters rejected spending $810,000 for a new fire truck to replace the current hook-and-ladder. 

Stern proposed dropping the spending limits entirely: He was joined by Brown and Commissioner Dennis Sheridan in a 3-2 vote.

The vote to drop limits on the town’s tax rate was 4-1 with Mayor Bernard Featherman dissenting.

Weiser said she and Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Chief Danielle Connors expect to ask the town to buy a fire truck in two years. The cost has increased to $850,000, she said. Highland Beach could buy the fire truck outright or pay $130,000 for seven years to finance it.                                   

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Highland Beach

Current tax rate: $3.40 per $1,000 of taxable property

Proposed tax rate: $3.95

Public hearings: 5:01 p.m. Sept. 7 and 20

 
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