THE
GAZETTE VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 19 SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
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WILTON MANORS
Wilton Manors Puts Finishing Touches On $40 Million City Budget By John McDonald Wilton Manors Commissioners finalized the We’ve been pushing the employees for the last few years to do more work for the same money 2021-22 budget — barely. At a final public hearing on Sept. 20, the and it’s time that we try to help out some of the commission mustered the three votes required employees that are here working very hard and to fund municipal operations. Mayor Scott need some help.” Half of the money in the Newton, Vice Mayor Paul Rolli budget — $19,946,696 — and Commissioner Chris Caputo goes into the general fund. voted in favor of the nearly $40 Permits, fees, fines and taxes million budget. generate a majority of the “It takes money to be better revenue streams in the general here in Wilton Manors so if fund. The city is forecasting we want the quality of life that $10,068,015 in ad valorem we want here it takes so much taxes next fiscal year. services,” said Newton before “We cannot expect property casting the third vote that values to continue to rise essentially kept the city alive. the way they did in 2020,” Commissioner Mike Bracchi Bracchi said. “Realistically voted no, citing rising costs, low we’re not going to have enough revenue forecasts and missing development over the next data. two to three years that would “I don’t think we can do this significantly increase the tax in a vacuum or with tunnel - Scott Newton base. The only way we’re going vision,” Bracchi said. “We need MAYOR to be balancing these future to approve budgets that can be budgets will be to drastically sustainable long-term, yearincrease taxes, slash costs or after-year and I’m not overly confident that this upcoming budget looks cut employees.” Four employees were added to the budget, beyond next fiscal year.” With Bracchi signaling his objections said Finance Director Pennie Zuercher. An coupled with the absence of Commissioner administrative coordinator for the utility fund, Gary Resnick, the city’s future was briefly in a full-time and part-time code enforcement officer and a community planning technician. limbo. Newton’s vote put any doubt to rest. “We’re in a different world,” Newton said. Collectively, the four positions will cost the city “There are different things going on that we $236,977 plus benefits. “I can’t in good conscience support adding 4 have to take care of and they need some help.
“It takes money to be better here in Wilton Manors so if we want the quality of life that we want here it takes so much services.”
Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
FTEs to the budget,” Bracchi said. “I have not received any data, no information, statistics or bench marking to show these positions are critical to the operations of the city. I like to make data driven decisions all the time, not when it’s convenient for me. We need to stop looking at this budget in a silo. On paper this budget looks good, but looking ahead at a 50,000-foot level I don’t think it would be fiscally responsible. I think it would be poor fiscal management.” City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson said the new budget accounts for 150 employees, including 10 seasonal part-time staff working
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in the summer camp program. A school resource officer position, funded through a $60,000 grant with the Broward County Public Schools, was also added to the new budget. “Our employees are underpaid,” admitted Caputo. “I don’t disagree that the future budget has some really serious risks in it and we are headed for some real serious challenges.” Commissioners also voted to lower the operational millage rate to 5.8360, marking the 10th year in a row the rate has been reduced. “In future years we’re going to have to look very carefully at where we are spending our money,” said Rolli.
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