Lake Worth (Beach) 2020/2021 Budget

Lake Worth's 2020-21 Budget Proposal

It was the Hardy Hour! In spite of the constant interruptions by Commissioner Hardy for nearly two and one-half hours, the Lake Worth (Beach) Finance Director, Bruce Miller, gave his Budget presentation Thursday night.

The major factors affecting our expenditures are employee wages (increased by $472,252 or 3%), employee benefits (increased by $$1,555,708) for a total employee cost increase of $2,027,960k. There will be no contribution from the Electric Utility to our General Fund this year.

Projected Revenues and Expenditures not including Utility:

Revenues:       $37,325,820
Expenditures:  $39,362,654
TOTAL:          $ (2,036,834)

And although the PBSO cost will stay the same as last year ($13.3million), Omari still wants to see if we can spend some of these dollars differently to "keep the city safe." Commissioner Maxwell challenged Hardy for using the same political talking points happening around our country to de-fund our police. Commissioner Robinson gave his two cents worth on our police budget and accused Maxwell of being political.

Because of Covid-19 and having to shut down our beach, a loss is projected overall with the largest portion of that loss being parking revenue of $251,852. There is a projected net loss overall at our beach of $318,270. Apparently they issued a bond on Thursday and the Finance Director said that the debt service would be dropped? at the beachfront.

Part of the bond will be going towards the three city funds from which we  borrowed $6 mil to build the casino and the balance owed will be amortized over 20 years! This is refinancing our debt to ourselves "to clean up the balance sheet."

Expected revenue of our utility is $1,572,738 and projected expenses are $1,117,125. The money owed to us right now by those who stopped paying the city during Covid is approximately between $700k and $800k. This liability of unpaid funds is not projected in this budget.

Omari would like to see the City extend its moratorium on unpaid utility bills to all those who have not paid, extending through September.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

1% revenue growth of $245,400
$13,382.600 Sheriff cost stays the same
Golf Fund ($6,774)

Omari says our golf course is under utilized..."we have acres and acres and acres of waterfront property--we should take some strategic moves with that golf course...potential to do so much more with that property."

The meeting was finally adjourned on a 4/1 vote (Hardy dissenting) after Omari accused Commissioner Andy Amoroso of blacking out his screen every time he talks. Andy retorted, "I'm going to the restroom, sir."  Omari had to bring up George Floyd's death and even James Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the United States House of Representatives and went on with his desire to use PBSO funds in other areas of our city and investigate crime's root causes.

It was the Hardy hour--the most exhausting 2.5 hours I have spent in a very long time.