North Bay Village’s millage was set at 7.5 for Trim Notices at
yesterday’s commission meeting. This number was arrived at because the
commission agreed to give themselves some room to maneuver. The North Bay Village operating budget for
2013 -2014 Fiscal year if no changes are made will require a millage of 6.0031. In addition the proposed debt millage was set
at 1.0405. The total millage is geared to be set somewhere from 7.0031 to
8.5405 if no further cuts are made to our operating budget. In perspective an
assessed home valued at $ 240,000.00 will receive a North Bay Village Real
Estate Tax increase from roughly $ 237.26 to $ 606.24 per year.
The largest item and most relevant is
the police budget, if adopted will go from $ 3, 182,368.00 to $ 3,802,453.00 an
increase of $ 620,085.00. Additionally this commission is not making any
serious attempts to making wasteful cuts and painful decisions. Commissioner Richard Chervony is on a well
deserved vacation and Commissioner Wendy Duval made an attempt to partially participate
via conference call. The audio was terrible but from what little we understood through
audio interference and low quality noise polluted sound it was apparent that
Commissioner Duval was not happy with the proposed Trim Millage, but voted yes
with Commissioner Jorge Gonzalez, Vice Mayor Eddie Lim and Mayor Connie
Leon-Kreps. The absent vote was Commissioner Chervony which we know it probably
would have been a nay.
We are making some progress however,
at the meeting the new Interim Manager Frank Rollason controlled the
discussions and made sure that the commission stayed on track. Mr. Rollason was
articulate and spoke with authority. It was clear that he was prepared, informed,
and cooperative and provided professional wisdom to the commission.
The September Commission meetings were
set for Tuesday September 17, 2013 and Wednesday September 25, 2013. These are
the meetings where the commission decides and votes to finalize the operating budget
and set the millage rate. Mark your calendars! Mark your Calendars!
We need to show up to these meetings!
Residents of North Bay Village let us show this commission that we are fed up
and will not take it anymore! I am hoping for wall to wall Village residents to
be present at these commission meetings held at Treasure Island Elementary
School Auditorium. If we don’t we will face the same budget problems for the
2014-2015 budget. Fiscal responsibility is not a choice, it is an obligation.
Honestly Opinionating
PUTTING NORTH BAY VILLAGE FIRST
Mario Garcia
August 1, 2013
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