LBTS Budget Workshop #1
June 8, 2008 by Barbara
6/11/08…5 pm…Jarvis Hall…televised Comcast…ch.78/online www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov
Discussion items for the 1st of 6 Budget meetings planned…
3-a…..Creation of a LBTS Building Department…
There has been a growing outcry from residents over the high cost of permits… the response time for the processing….inspections…inspectors….from Broward County….
The commission and the administration must present the pros and the cons of the initial start-up costs….the staffing….and the monetary return to the town for creating the department…at this time…
b. Millage….
BCbythesea has heard the Millage rate is to stay the same as last year……
A move to make it less would go a long way with the residents…to pull it down to the rate (approx. 3.5? )…where the 2 incumbent commission members tried to get it last year….unsuccessfully….
LBTS does not need a vast amount of money in various funds …. (still not fully made public.)..
Instead…. being a municipality with stellar credit ….a line of credit ….at our disposal would make more sense….
A move …if initiated by staff to increase the millage rate….would only be to add to these funds…and should be opposed….
A move to increase for additional capital projects…should be rejected….and put on hold…this fiscal year…
c. Fire Assessment…..
It is set right now at $130 dollars….as it was after the questionable fire assessment was stopped along with the questionable sewer assessments…. last year….
Still …it should be up for discussion…the real possibility of changing it over to be an ad-velorem tax…
d. Capital Improvements….
The pavilion is number 1…with a price tag of approximately $900 thousand dollars….
other items….will be discussed…
accordingly…if this commission and new Town Manager re-enact the previous commissions….they will be asked what they want to do….their personal “wish lists”….
let’s hope they all drop this custom….and decide to put a new set of standards forth….
deciding what will be of the most importance to the residents in both ends of town….and what will be the most responsible projects in terms of the town’s infrastructure….and the future. of LBTS……
All residents are implored by this writer to also enact a change from past budget workshops….
show up…get involved….question….and inform the dais of your input…so they can truly represent their constituents….
Finally…..
this commission at some point during these meetings …should direct the Town Attorney and Town Manager to put into place for next budget season…. a residential budget review board…as offered up recently by resident Bob Eckblad…
