TRIM Notices expected to arrive soon

Watch your mailboxes, because the TRuth In Millage Notices will be going out.

The TRIM notice is not what your final taxes will be, and local governments will hold hearings before the final rates are decided, so citizens can attend the meetings and give elected officials their views.

Visit the county's Web site and click on "MGA-TV Sunshine in the Government," then the link to "On-Demand Videos" for a list that includes an explanation of the TRIM Notice.

With property values plunging and governments working to keep their budgets in balance, there has been talk of tax increases. Mechanisms intended to keep taxes from rising as property values increase, as they had done until the downturn hit, are working in reverse.

This means that the rollback rate, intended to keep government revenues the same as values went up, now can be invoked to raise taxes, not cut them. Naturally, people are upset to learn that governments are raising tax rates. Even if the taxes go down, it's the thought that counts, apparently.

Bright lights, big city, higher taxes

For all the talk about how living in the city limits is such a fulfilling and uplifting experience, there's

one fact that remains undisputed: You'll pay more in taxes for the privilege.

The question is: Are the higher taxes worth it?

Millages are still in the planning stage, but with the ongoing economic crisis, measures to keep taxes from rising along with property values have started to work in reverse, and the talk in city halls and the county commission's chambers has been of taking taxes to the rollback rate. So what was once supposed to prevent tax increases now causes them, unless governments decide to keep their millage the same.

So in 2009, residents in unincorporated Manatee County could pay a millage rate of 6.2993 plus the school district's rollback rate of 7.541 plus a range of .8 to 1 mill for their fire service, depending on the fire district, and other charges depending on where they live.

Calls to fire district administrators have revealed that they are holding the line on their millage rates.

For city residents, the county millage rate could end up as 14.6191 plus their city's rate, which could be as follows:

• City of Anna Maria (Operating): 1.9450 (proposed increase)

• City of Bradenton (Operating): 4.6758 (proposed increase to rollback rate)

• City of Bradenton Beach (Operating): 2.1539 (proposed millage rate, same as last year)

• City of Holmes Beach (Operating): 1.7549 (increase to rollback rate)

• Town of Longboat Key (Operating): 1.5000 (same as last year)

• Town of Longboat Key (I & S): 0.0583

• Longboat Key Erosion District A: 0.5520

• Longboat Key Erosion District B: 0.1380

• City of Palmetto (Operating): 4.9162 (proposed increase below rollback rate)

The proposed millage rates for 2009 are awaiting public hearings. The county is holding the line on its millage rate and tapping reserves to make up the difference, but some districts are approaching the rollback rate or even raising their millage to that rate. The Manatee County School Board, for example, has taken its millage rate to 7.541, the rollback rate. The city of Palmetto decided on Aug. 3 to raise its millage to 4.9162 from 4.6662, with an eye toward coming back down.

In 2008, residents in unincorporated Manatee County paid a millage rate of 15.061 plus a range of .8 to 1 mill for their fire service, depending on the fire district, and other charges depending on where they live.

For city residents, the county millage rate was 14.4501 plus their city's rate, which was as follows:

• City of Anna Maria (Operating): 1.7882

• City of Bradenton (Operating): 4.2843

• City of Bradenton Beach (Operating): 2.2579

• City of Holmes Beach (Operating): 1.5989

• Town of Longboat Key (Operating): 1.5000

• Town of Longboat Key (I & S): 0.0583

• Longboat Key Erosion District A: 0.5520

• Longboat Key Erosion District B: 0.1380

• City of Palmetto (Operating): 4.6662

In 2007, residents in unincorporated Manatee County paid a millage rate of 15.3418 plus a range of .8 to 1 mill for their fire service, depending on the fire district, and other charges depending on where they live.

For city residents, the county millage rate was 14.7309 plus their city's rate, which was as follows:

• City of Anna Maria (Operating): 1.7882

• City of Bradenton (Operating): 4.1134

• City of Bradenton Beach (Operating): 2.1539

• City of Holmes Beach (Operating): 1.5989

• Town of Longboat Key (Operating): 1.4062

• Town of Longboat Key (I & S): 0.1036

• Longboat Key Erosion District A: 0.5011

• Longboat Key Erosion District B: 0.1253

• City of Palmetto (Operating): 4.6662

Recently, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said she thought it was definitely worth it to live in a city, but with counties taking over some city responsibilities and more cities in Florida contracting out police and fire services to counties, some wonder if cities are even worth it.

Calling the sheriff

For example, a few years ago the city of Belle Glade, on the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, disbanded its police department and contracted with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. According to The Palm Beach Post, that created a new problem because one sergeant began to beat up suspects - and his subordinates also made trouble - and the sergeant bragged about it on his MySpace page.

Supervisors and deputies saw the assignment to an area 40 miles west of their homes in the coastal part of Palm Beach County as punitive. Indeed, the small cities on the shores of the lake sometimes hired officers who had quit under duress or were fired from the Sheriff's Office and other police agencies.

Ringing the fire bells

As for the fire department, Bradenton still has its fire engines, stations and firefighters, but other municipalities and, of course, the unincorporated areas, are going with Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue, East Manatee Fire Rescue or Southern Manatee Fire Rescue.

In fact, people who complain about Bradenton's taxes might forget that they're paying for fire and police service, and merging those departments might not result in saving that much money. You still need police cars, police officers, firetrucks and firefighters, even if they're from the county or another fire department, and you still need to pay for them.

Watching the budgets being made

Attending county budget workshops, which are open to the public, has been a grueling experience, with agency and department heads talking about the loss of valued and experienced people, and worthy programs, and the possible consequences even for future financial savings.

Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube talked at one meeting about how cuts to his technology purchasing meant that future cost savings won't be realized, and at some point he'll have to increase his capital budget to replace equipment that's worn out, including radios, computers and, of course, cars.

But as a few local leaders have noted, the people have spoken and they said they wanted lower taxes, not more services.