BOCC's August Budget Work Session Canceled

MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Commission canceled as many meetings as it held in the month of August, despite just three weeks remaining until the BOCC will hold its final public hearing and vote to adopt the FY23 budget and millage rate.

Work on the county’s fiscal year budget begins in January, and typically by early June, the county administrator presents his proposed budget to the board of commissioners. The administrator’s presentation is followed by several budget workshops and presentations held throughout June before the commission’s July recess. These scheduled meetings include a budget decision review, presentation of constitutional officers’ requested budgets and administrations proposed, presentation of the CIP, and fund summary reviews.

Typically, when the county commission returns from summer recess in late July, the budget process is full speed ahead toward the finish line as September’s budget public hearings approach. Upon the board’s return from recess, it convenes for its July budget reconciliation meeting. During reconciliation, the board reviews any additional information in response to "flagged" items, resolves any remaining budget issues, and sets a tentative maximum millage rate to be provided to the property appraiser.

The month of August is usually a busy budget month, with the board generally convening for two work sessions and at least one designated budget work session. Although only one work session may be designated as a "budget work session“ in August, it is not uncommon for budget-related questions or updates to be included during other meeting agendas during the month–including during regular meetings.

However, this August has been quiet, with little budget work taking place in public view during BOCC meetings. The regularly scheduled August budget work session was canceled entirely, along with a scheduled general work session and a regular meeting. In all, the BOCC convened for just three meetings throughout the month of August this year–two land use meetings and one regular meeting. It canceled the same number of meetings it held, including two work sessions and one regular meeting which appeared on the 2022 BOCC Meeting Schedule.

For comparison, the three prior years' BOCC calendars show a consistent August schedule of several commission meetings that were held leading up to the budget's adoption in September.

In an email, Manatee County PIO Bill Logan told TBT that while August is typically a month when budget work ramps up for the BOCC, this year much of the budget work was completed prior to August.

"While this is the time of year that budget work typically occurs, the Manatee County Administration and Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) have completed much of the work on this – the second year of a two-year budget cycle," Logan explained in an email. "Capital Improvements and operating budgets were already workshopped to the satisfaction of the BOCC and Administration."

Logan told TBT that the BOCC had already adopted a .2 millage reduction in line with the recommended budget–an approval that usually takes place during the second (and final) budget public hearing in September. Logan said the board had directed the Administrator to present the millage at the first of the two required public hearings on the budget scheduled for September 7.

Concerning the scheduled meetings that were canceled Logan wrote, "Two of the scheduled sessions were canceled because of a lack of topics brought forth for consideration. The regular meeting scheduled for August 30 was canceled because Commissioners and Administration are attending Florida’s 35th Annual Statewide Affordable Housing Conference in Orlando."

TBT was unable to confirm if all commissioners will be attending the Affordable Housing Conference in Orlando or just some of them.

On September 7, the first of two required budget public hearings will be held from 6-8 pm. On September 13, the second and final budget public hearing will be held, and the final budget will be adopted. The September 13 hearing is also scheduled for the evening from 6-8 pm.

To review Manatee County's FY23 administrator's budget message, click here. To view budget schedules and budget materials, visit the Manatee County Government's website, Financial Department/Budget Division. Previously recorded BOCC budget-related meetings can be replayed and are located on the Manatee County Commission Meeting YouTube channel.