vote on city budgets

4THE SUN ISLAND NEWS

Visit our website, www.amisun.com. Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

IN BRIEF

Turtle Watch fundraiser postponed

The Fourth Annual Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 28 to benefit Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring will be re-scheduled due to the approach of Hurricane Ian. `

Drowning victim identified

Holmes Beach police officers have identified 55-year-old Bradenton resident Martha Geiser as the woman whose body was found floating just offshore on Sept. 20 in Holmes Beach. Police responded to a call for a possible drowning around 8:30 a.m. Several witnesses told officers they had seen Geiser earlier in the water swimming out toward the swim buoys. Her body was found and pulled to shore by bystanders and marine rescue personnel. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers do not suspect foul play and preliminary autopsy results indicate that her cause of death was drowning.

Sandpiper shareholders reject $48 million offer

The 120 shareholders of the Sandpiper Resort Co-Op rejected MHM Communities’ $48 million offer to purchase the mobile home community property in Bradenton Beach, multiple sources stated. Shareholder Rob Edward commented on Facebook, “It was a company called MHM. They are buying trailer parks all over Florida. The offer was $48 million. I was at the (shareholders) meeting. They tried to sugarcoat everything but the majority of residents saw through their B.S. and voted no.” Another Sandpiper resident said that MHM’s $48 million offer would have resulted in each of the 120 shareholders receiving $400,000, but the annual maintenance fees would have also increased to $5,000. Some Sandpiper residents are shareholders who also own their mobile homes. Some nonshareholder residents own their mobile homes but do not own a share of the Sandpiper property and pay a fee for the use of the property.

Charter government presentation postponed

Due to illness, attorney Wade Vose, on behalf of the city of Anna Maria, was unable to give his county charter government presentation during the Sept. 14 Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said Vose’s presentation will be rescheduled for a future meeting.

Correction

The turtle hatchling photo in the Sept. 21 edition of The Sun was taken by Amy Waterbury. The caption named a different photographer.

Anna Maria budget adopted

The adopted

budget includes increased funds for street paving and stormwater and drainage projects, as well as Pine Avenue improvements.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The city commission has adopted the $11.4 million 2022-23 budget crafted by Mayor Dan Murphy.

Adopted by the city commission on Sept. 22, the budget for the new fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1 maintains the 2.05 property tax millage rate, which Murphy noted remains the lowest on Anna Maria Island.

When summarizing the budget developed over the summer with city commission input and assistance from the city staff, Murphy said the budget addresses three core elements: street paving and resurfacing, the Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvements and drainage and stormwater projects and maintenance.

The adopted budget includes $798,000 for street paving and resurfacing, which according to Murphy, represents a $23,000 increase from the current fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30.

Murphy said the city’s perimeter streets have been repaved and the focus now turns to some of the interior and side streets.

The adopted budget includes $1.75 million for stormwater and drainage improvement projects and the maintenance of the city’s existing stormwater and drainage system. Murphy said this represents a $373,000 and a 27% increase over what was budgeted in the current fiscal year.

Of that, $1.2 million is budgeted for new stormwater and drainage improvements. Representing a 19% increase, the adopted budget also includes $529,000 for stormwater and drainage maintenance, which Murphy said is $140,000 more than what was budgeted in the current fiscal year.

Murphy provided the commission with a five-year comparison of these key expenditures. Murphy said five years ago the city spent $162,000 on street paving, compared to the $799,000 budgeted in the coming fiscal year.

According to Murphy, the city budgeted $935,000 for stormwater improvements and maintenance five years ago compared to the $1.75 million included in the 202223 fiscal year budget.

Murphy said these increased expenditures over the past five years have reduced flooding on the city’s perimeter streets, along Pine Avenue and near the City Pier.

“We’ve done a really good job and I think there’s still a lot more to go,” he said of those ongoing efforts.

AD VALOREM REVENUES

The city will experience a $610,000 increase in ad valorem property tax revenues during the coming fiscal year, which Murphy said represents a 21% increase over the current fiscal year.

The additional property tax revenues will be spent on paving, the Pine Avenue improvements and stormwater and drainage improvements. Murphy noted the city is using the additional tax revenues on expenditures that directly impact the quality of life in Anna Maria.

The 2022-23 budget also includes a $920,000 contingency fund that can be used for unforeseen expenses that include the increased labor and material costs for city projects. Murphy said this represents an 89% increase over the $488,000 contingency fund included in the current fiscal year budget.

Murphy noted the contingency fund can be spent as needed without the need to make budget amendments or adopt budgetrelated city ordinances.

“It gives us a great deal of flexibility,” he said.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN The city of Anna Maria budgeted $1.75 million for stormwater and drainage improvements and maintenance for the coming fiscal year.

Street paving remains a budget priority for the city of Anna Maria.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Commissioners one step closer to budget approval

Holmes Beach commissioners voted 3-1 to approve the first reading of the city’s proposed 2022-23 fiscal year budget.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN

SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The start of a new fiscal year is quickly approaching and city leaders are working to have a new budget approved just in the nick of time.

Commissioners voted 3-1, with Commissioner Kim Rash absent and Commissioner Jayne Christenson dissenting, to pass the first reading of the 2022-23 proposed budget and millage rate.

The millage rate in the Island city is being lowered for the first time in years, dropping from 2.25 mills to 2.07 mills. Though the millage rate is smaller, it does still represent a 5.75% increase over the rollback rate of 1.9509 mills due to increases in property values.

The millage rate is assessed per $1,000 of assessed property value. The rollback rate is the millage rate that would need to be used by city leaders to gain the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous fiscal year.

City Treasurer Lori Hill previously created the city’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 using a 2.25 millage rate. She said that the new rate approved by commissioners represents about a $400,000 reduction in tax revenue. To make up for the decrease in revenue, she said some projects, including getting hurricane windows for city hall, were put off until future fiscal years. She also identified about $480,000 in potential grant funding for the coming year.

While Christenson said she’s happy that commissioners are able to reduce the millage rate, she said she felt they could do better for the city’s residents. She said she feels the rate reflects the city’s strained relationship with Manatee County leaders and that she wants to work toward mending that relationship.

“I think we need to mend fences and look for another income source other than our taxpayers,” Christenson said.

When Manatee County commissioners voted to approve the county’s budget, they agreed to provide $54,000 for Holmes Beach police officers to patrol Manatee Beach and Kingfish Boat Ramp, however, they denied additional funding, blaming the city for a failed attempt at remodeling the boat ramp.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Terry Schaefer said he feels that the city’s proposed budget of $25,336,242, including $6,375,912 in carryover and reserves, is fair considering the challenges the Island city and its residents face. In his estimation, the city tax makes up about 13% of property owners’ total tax bill.

“What are you willing to do without?” he asked, naming roads, infrastructure, parks, police and code enforcement, all line items in the proposed budget. “Everyone on the commission takes this seriously. I think this is a fair budget.”

Resident Margie Motzer stood up during public comment, noting that in her research, the city of Holmes Beach stands at $7,000-8,000 per capita per resident, a significant difference over similar cities in Florida which come in at $2,0003,000 per resident. She said she’s concerned that taxpayer funds are going more to tourists than to city residents.

“When I came on to the commission, the city was broke and we had to raise taxes,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said. “We had to put this city into a position where it didn’t drown every time it rains. It took a lot of money and a lot of expertise. I don’t compare myself too much to other cities. I know what we’re doing here and what we’re doing with every dollar.”

A final public hearing for the proposed budget is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 27.