Commission Approves Property Tax Increase, FY14 Budget

By a 4-1 vote Monday night, the Safety Harbor City Commission passed the fiscal year 2013-2014 budget that includes a significant property tax increase for residents.

The 3.7343 millage rate approved represents an 11.61 percent increase over the roll back rate and more than a 10 percent increase from the current millage rate, according to Safety Harbor City Manager Matthew Spoor.

A rollback rate is what the millage rate would need to be for Safety Harbor to take in the same amount of property tax revenues in 2014 as they did in 2013. 

Revenue generated from the approved millage will be $3.42 million. According to city documents, the city's total budget for the next fiscal year is $54,488,970.

Safety Harbor will be using $68,270 in reserves for the 2013-14 budget. In 2012-13, the city used more than $251,000 from reserves.

Commissioner Nancy Besore was the lone commissioner to vote against the proposed budget and millage rate.

No one from the public or commissioners spoke or asked questions about the budget before the 4-1 vote Monday.

At the first public hearing on the budget Sept. 3, Besore said some residents were concerned about the pending property tax increase because Safety Harbor is not the only Pinellas government body raising taxes this year.