By Michael Eng | Managing Editor
Although Plant City will end fiscal year 2011-12 with an estimated 3.3% decline in general gross revenues, City Manager Greg Horwedel said he sees signs of stabilization that should continue into the next fiscal year.
Horwedel shared his analysis on Plant City’s finances during a special City Commission workshop July 9. In it, he offered a glimpse of the fiscal year 2012-13 preliminary budget.Despite the decline in gross revenues, Horwedel said higher local sales-tax collections, year-over-year increases in building permits and engineering fees and a slowing in the decline of property values are evidence of a stabilizing local economy.
Overall, Horwedel proposed a 2012-13 revenue budget of $25,401,016 — a 1.1% reduction from the amended 2011-12 budget, $25,675,104. Horwedel said staffing and budget levels for 2012-13 are similar to what the city had in 2003-04.
“It’s like the last eight or nine years never happened,” he said.
Horwedel’s proposals include:
• No increase in the ad valorem millage rate (4.7157);
• No fee increase for Recreation and Parks Department programs, or Building, Planning and Zoning, and Engineering departments;
• Waiving a 3% sanitation fee increase schedules for Oct. 1, 2012;
• Limit water utilities fee increase to CPI deflator;
• Reducing staff by two positions;
• No wage increase for city employees;
• Maintaining current level of city contribution to Public Safety Pension Fund;
• No new major projects; and
• Continuing street-resurfacing program.
Of the proposals, commissioners focused most of their attention on wages and asked Horwedel and Finance Director Martin Wisgerhof to try to find a way to offer a boost for employees.
“Our employees have not had a pay raise in a great number of years,” Mayor Michael Sparkman said. “I’d like to see if there were some way we could do (that) and at what cost.”
The City Commission will hold its next budget workshop July 23, at Sadye Gibbs Martin Auditorium, City Hall, 302 W. Reynolds St.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
BY THE NUMBERS
General Fund Gross Revenue
Year Total
FY 08/09 $27,530,740
FY 09/10 $26,787,331
FY 10/11 $26,776,291
FY 11/12 $25,889,967 (end-of-year estimate)
Ad Valorem Revenue
Year Total
FY 11/12 $6,709,679
FY 12/13 $6,496,804 (projected)
IN OTHER NEWS
During the Plant City Commission’s July 9 regular meeting, commissioners:
• Approved placing on the Nov. 6 ballot an amendment to the city charter that would change the way the city handles commission vacancies. The change would eliminate special elections when a commissioner leaves with less than 15 months in his or her term.
Commissioner Rick Lott recommended the change after Commissioner Daniel Raulerson announced his campaign for Florida House of Representatives District 58.
• Approved the rezoning of 1705 Sammonds Road from C-1 (General Commercial District and C-1A (Neighborhood Business District) to M-1A (Light Industrial District).
• Accepted the bid of Marlon Dunn Contracting Inc. for the Mendonsa Road reconstruction.
— Amber Jurgensen