Lake Worth's Budget and Millage

Comment Up

By law, we have to publish our proposed budget and our millage rate which is 5.4945.  Both appeared in yesterday's Palm Beach Post. What wasn't mentioned was the MSTU Fire--that is a separate tax of 3.4581 mills for a total of 8.9526 that Lake worth will pay.

Although the millage is the same as last year, taxes will be going up by $582,800 or 9.7% due to the rise in property values.  The final decision on the proposed tax increase and the budget will be made at a public meeting on September 23rd.

The County and the City's projections are below relative to Public Safety--

$667,348,198--COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES
$555,199,475--COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS

$6,315,694--LAKE WORTH PROPERTY TAXES
$20,138,441--LAKE WORTH PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS
Look at the difference and calculate the percentage on what we pay for Public Safety compared to what we bring in from ad-valorem.   

Does that seem just a wee bit disproportionate to you? This is one of the main reasons why we have no money to operate our city. Luckily we have our own utility company and from that as well as enterprise funds, we will have an additional $9,138,387. We get selected as one of the top crime cities in the state and rank 42nd in the country--crime is rising right along with costs.

There is a new biosolids improvement project in effect that will affect much of the present plant located near the turnpike in West Palm Beach. The presentation was dated July 14, 2014 but Lake Worth gave its presentation to the public on September 19, well after the election. Lake Worth is a member along with West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County. Tipping fees for waste has gone up to $56 per wet ton. The entire project is estimated at a cost of $112,794,000, so far, as designs are not totally complete and costs continue to change. This will be paid off through a five year bond.

We are one of the poorest cities in Palm Beach County and taxes are going up by 9.7% along with water (5%) and sewer (8%) for five years, an overall 40% increase, to pay for the biosolids improvement plant.  In June it was said that the Regional Sewer Fund was adjusted based on the settlement agreement reached with our contracted sub-regional customers in FY 2013. A true-up calculation was completed based on audited FY 13 financial reports.  At that time it was stated that they will only be charged a 1% increase by us. On 9-23, the commission will be voting on the final charge--it is on Consent Agenda.

 And just think, Lake Worth still wanted to grab $63.5 million more.