Library renovation nears completion
By Mary Thurwachter
Raising the tax rate is seldom popular and certainly isn’t this year either, as evidenced by the many residents who spoke against a tax hike during workshops and public hearings in recent months. But the rate is going up in Lantana, from $3.50 to $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value — despite a 15.8% increase in the town’s tax base.
Town Manager Brian Raducci said the Town Council dipped into the town’s savings last year to cover expenses, rather than raise the tax rate or make additional budget cuts. That led to an even bigger budget gap this year, he said. Savings are typically used for one-time costs like capital projects, not for ongoing expenses.
During its Sept. 21 public hearing, the council voted unanimously for the 7.1% rate increase needed to balance the $15,243,834 general fund budget for the year starting Oct. 1.
Related: South County's new tax rates, taxes and budgets
Dozens of residents said the tax increase was unnecessary in a year when property values soared, many people are struggling to make ends meet and the town has no debt.
Tammy Gianfortune of Hypoluxo Island said she opposed what she calls “a double tax increase” on Lantana citizens.
“I suggest it’s a double tax increase because the town is gaining from the record rise in taxable values of our properties, a 15.8% increase,” she said. “Additionally, you’re choosing to raise the millage from the $3.07 per $1,000” rollback rate “to $3.75 per $1,000 — a 22% increase. I’ve got to suggest that combination is extremely aggressive.”
She said she understood that inflation has hit all parts of the budget. “But I also understand the same issue is hitting every homeowner’s pocketbook as well,” Gianfortune said.
“Other Palm Beach County cities have chosen to use their property-value-driven tax increase to cover their cost of inflation and chosen not to increase their millage rate, and some are even reducing their rates,” she said.
Raducci defended the rate increase, saying people don’t realize that last year’s budget was adopted with an $800,000 deficit. “It was balanced because we used fund balance [reserves] to balance the budget,” he said. “But we were still upside down by about $800,000.”
That meant that this budget year, even with $700,000 in new revenue, the town was still “$100,000 in the hole,” he said.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that. And that’s not something you want to do repeatedly year after year,” he said, especially considering the significant increases in the costs of labor, contracts and insurance.
The council exacerbated the funding gap in December, when it awarded an additional 1.5% salary boost to town employees, a continuing expense estimated at $55,000 last year alone. The council at that time also approved one-time employee bonuses of up to $2,000, which were estimated to cost $110,000.
Raducci said municipalities usually use their reserves for things like one-time investments. “You do not want to use fund balance to maintain your operating cost, and that’s really what this is being used for,” he said of the current tax increase.
“But sometimes it’s necessary and we feel like if you don’t do this and we have to cut costs even further we’re going to be cutting into what we call essential services,” he said.
The new budget again relies on $126,440 in undesignated reserves to balance its revenues and expenditures.
Finance director Stephen Kaplan said some of the general fund items include:
• A 5% cost-of-living adjustment for general employees and between 7.5% and 8.5% for police.
• $1.5 million for the town’s two pension plans.
• Additional hours for part-time library employees so at least two people are on duty at any given time.
• Transitioning from a part-time to full-time lifeguard position.
• Infrastructure surtax — or penny tax — dollars supplementing funds already budgeted for the ADA beach ramp, replacing the wooden decking rafters at the beach, and to continue the street paving program.
• American Rescue Plan Act money being used for vehicle replacement and sea wall projects at Bicentennial Park, Sportsman Park and the beach.
Details on library work
Progress is speeding up on the $1 million library renovation project. That’s what Town Council members learned during a Sept. 12 meeting, with library Director Kristine Kreidler saying the grand opening is tentatively expected late in October or in November.
“If you’ve driven past the library, you can see it is painted outside,” she said. “It is painted inside, as well, and the wave wall that separates the children’s area from the main adult area has been put up. There’s air conditioning inside the building now. Landscaping should be finished soon. And the pavers have been put in the front in the garden.”
Some special creative touches will include sea lantern lights and a mobile in the children’s library.
Construction on the library at 205 W. Ocean Ave. has been fraught with problems, most notable the discovery in December of the lack of proper licensing by the original contractor. That halted construction until mid-May, when West Construction Inc. of Lantana took over after the town approved a contract to finish the project.
The renovations will improve how space is used in the library and add a meeting room and outdoor reading garden. The changes include ADA-compliant restrooms, a centralized circulation desk, special spaces for children and teens and a community center for adult activities.
The library is temporarily housed in the Recreation Center at 418 S. Dixie Highway.
In other news, the Town Council met the new president of the Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce, Natalie Stolbach, a longtime member and a board member. She replaces Dave Arm, who retired in September after 10 years. Stolbach and her husband, Barry Stolbach, own and operate Barry’s Jewelry Spa in Boynton Beach.
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