Levy County Commissioners Rock Meeks, Matt Brooks, Chairman John Meeks, Lilly Rooks and Mike Joyner preside over a property tax millage hearing. On the right is Clerk of Courts Danny Shipp.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Commissioners approved a tentative budget of $89.9 million Tuesday with no increase in the property tax millage rate or in special assessments for fire, ambulance and landfill.
The property tax rate for next year’s budget will remain at 9 mills and the special assessment for fire will stay at $129 per residential parcel, at $116 for the landfill and $119 for Emergency Medical Services.
Commissioners approved the tentative millage and special assessments in a pair of public hearings. Final approval will come later this month. The new budget begins on Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2020.
Jared Blanton, an employee of the clerk’s office who serves as the commission’s budget officer, said the commission will have $11 million cash reserves in its general operating budget going into next year along with $1.75 million in reserves for EMS and $1.5 million in reserves for roads.
The board also approved road assessments for the coming year.
“Everything is balanced and ready to implement,” he said.
The bad news is that the $11 million in cash reserves for the operating budget could drop by $2.5 million by the end of the next budget due to spending for a new radio communications system for the sheriff’s office, washed out roads in south Levy County, equipment and land purchases for the county lime rock pit, and renovation of the former Bronson High School and Bronson Elementary School for office space, according to Blanton.
County Coordinator Wilbur Dean said the state is forcing counties to switch to a new radio communications system for emergency services. He said the county doesn’t know what the system might cost but has heard the price tag could reach as high as $5 million.
The county is also planning for major equipment purchases at the lime rock pit in Gulf Hammock. The rock crusher is more than 30 years old and is barely functional. The lime rock pit dragline, which is used to the dig the rock, is another piece of aging equipment. The dragline doesn’t have the size to dig deep enough for all the rock.
Dean said the county is also negotiating to purchase land it currently leases for lime rock mining. He said the county needs the additional land to meet its lime rock needs for maintaining graded county roads. Purchase of the additional land is the highest priority. The rock crusher, which is in bad shape, will have to limp along until the leased land can be purchased for the rock mine.
Renovation of the former BHS and BES buildings is in progress. Total costs are unknown at this point, but the project has bridged two county budgets. The county maintenance and construction crews are working on the renovation project while building the new 50-bed air conditioned and heated dog kennel at Levy County Animal Services.
Commissioner Lilly Rooks was the lone board member to vote against approval of the landfill assessment. She opposed it last year when the assessment was first approved. She said she would prefer to go back to the system of charging tipping fees for garbage dumped at the landfill.
Rooks was also the lone board member to vote against the road assessments. The per-parcel fees are imposed on subdivisions that agreed to pay the assessment as part of the subdivision approval process. The county generally responds to requests for maintenance of the roads when potholes form or the roads need grading. Rooks said residents already pay 11 cents on every gallon of gas for maintenance of county roads and she feels the county shouldn’t impose subdivision road assessments on top of the gas tax.
The county is also planning for construction of a future 911 building at the sheriff’s office. Blanton said the county has been saving the money Sheriff Bobby McCallum returns to the county commission at the end of every budget year, and using the money as a savings account for construction of the future facility. The county has saved about $300,000 for the 911 building, which is expected to cost $3-4 million.
Emergency communications systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated as state and local governments adapt to the criminal activity in the 21st Century and to the rapid changes in technology.
Board of County Commission Budget Hearing September 11, 2019; Posted September 12, 2019
