Recap: BOCC Budget Sessions

BRADENTON — This week, Manatee County Commissioners continued the FY25 budget process with two sessions. A Utilities/Fund Summary Review scheduled for Wednesday was canceled.

The budget process kicked off last Wednesday with the Budget Presentation and Decision Unit Part I. County Administator Charlie Bishop recommended a nearly $1.27 billion budget for FY25 and a $2.3 billion Capital Improvement Plan for FY25-FY29, $560 million of which would be allotted for FY25.

The recommended budget includes $12.8 million for cost-of-living salary increases for county employees to combat the rising cost of living in the county. Twenty one new county positions are recommended, along with a 1% increase in both employer and employee contributions to health insurance.

A budget of $57.3 million was recommended for public safety and $2.5 million for cybersecurity and technology upgrades. An additional $11.1 million was recommended for "generational impact projects" to address homelessness and provide transitional housing.

$16 million was recommended for specialty programs covering specialty care, mental health and continued efforts to fund indigent healthcare through the low-income pool. $10.8 million from the state via opioid settlements would address the ongoing opioid crisis.

Constitutional officers presented their proposed budgets on Monday. After getting snubbed in last year's budget process for what seemed like political reasons, the Clerk of the Circuit Courts and Comptroller's office requested an additional four employees after identifying a need for eight. The clerk's requested budget of $9,046,158 was more than $500,000 lower than the adopted FY24 budget.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Supervisor of Elections and Property Appraiser's Office saw flat budgets in the recommended budget. However, Manatee County Chief Financial Officer Shiela McClean explained that their "new asks" would be brought before the board on August 1. The State Attorney's Office requested an increase of $306,000 for personnel in a budget request of just over $1 million.

During Wednesday's session, the $2.3 billion Capital Improvement Plan for FY25-FY29 was presented with several projects "deferred" after commissioners opted for a controversial impact fee plan.

"We need to have a real conversation here about the plan," said Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, who cast the lone dissenting vote on the impact fee plan. "I mean, this plan is just gut our CIP, not how do we eventually pay for it. I know we're trying to carefully dance around the word terminate a project vs. defer a project, but without any future meaningful source of funds, like, when are these ever gonna get done."

Kruse noted that while some taxpayers will be happy that several unpopular "improvements" were getting deferred, many of the much-needed projects in places where growth has occurred most intensely would likely leave many unpleased.

"Let's remind everyone," said Kruse, "this isn't the cut for all of our shortfall. This is the cut for proposing to bond $300 million more."

Kruse said this would increase debt service by about $15 million to a total of $50 million, making it the second most expensive line item on homeowners' tax bills.

"About 12% of your real estate taxes effectively are going to pay debt service on projects right now, which will make it, outside of the sheriff, the debt service line item will now be the second largest line item in our budget, ahead of public safety, just to pay for this debt. That's not sustainable."

Kruse followed up by noting that the difference between the BOCC moving to collect the full impact fee option over what they ultimately adopted would have amounted to almost the exact same amount of the entirety of cuts over the five-year period.

The county administrator's recommended budget presentation kicks off the budget process. Once the Property Appraiser has finalized tax rolls by July 1, the BOCC receives a proposed budget with up-to-date tax information and any changes from the earlier recommended budget. Two public hearings are held in September before the BOCC approves the adopted budget.

Visit the budget page on the county's website for more information.