Proposed city budget again calls for lowering property taxes

July 20th, 2012
Coral Gables City Hall

Coral Gables City Hall. (File photo)

The proposed municipal budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1, was recently released to the Coral Gables City Commission and the public by City Manager Pat Salerno.

The budget calls for a property tax millage rate reduction from the current rate of 5.869 to a new rate of 5.669. The rate represents a tax of $5.669 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

This would mean an annual tax reduction in 2012-13 of approximately $100 for the owner of a home assessed at $550,000 (the average assessed value in Coral Gables) after deducting the $50,000 maximum homestead exemption.

Under the proposed budget, the city would be reducing property tax revenues collected by approximately $1.5 million, the city stated in a July 18 press release. This follows a reduction in the millage rate a year ago from 6.072 to 5.869.

According to the city, this would also be the first time in more than 35 years that Coral Gables has reduced property tax revenues for three consecutive years.

“Even during these challenging economic times, the proposed budget keeps us on the right path towards continuing to reduce taxes while providing quality services,” said Mayor Jim Cason.

The city’s workforce would remain the same at 791 full-time employees. The city said that’s fewer employees than it has had in at least the past two decades.

Meanwhile, the capital improvement program is budgeted at approximately $3 million. It includes funds for repairs/improvements to fire stations and the public safety building, as well as the replacement of playground equipment, and the purchase of green space.

“We will make the community proud of how our continued dedication to the heritage and tradition of Coral Gables adds value to our citizens; that we are an organization residents can trust and believe in, and one they can admire for the good that we do and the future direction towards which we steer,” Mr. Salerno stated in his budget transmittal message to the mayor and city commissioners.

There will be two public hearings in September before the final budget is adopted.

  • http://twitter.com/VoterM Stephen McGaughey

    A quick look at the budget highlights the following:
    1. While property tax revenues are being reduced (about 2%), other taxes (call them licenses, permits, use charges, sales taxes, franchise fees, utility service taxes) are increased by around 1.5%. Hence, all taxes are not being reduced by much.
    2. After the one time reduction in employees (mainly low paid staff, I think) by the city of about 7% in the 2009-2010, the total number of employees has remained constant for three years now.  Hence, there seems to have been very little real progress in streamlining city government, this measured by the number and cost of employees.  This is very concerning for the future of operating costs (as pointed out in the presentation, the budget’s rapidly rising health insurance costs).