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Item C27BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: March 19, 2008 Bulk Item: Yes X No Division: Emergency Services Department: Fire Rescue Staff Contact Person: Susan Hover AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval to advertise a public hearing at the April 16, 2008 BOCC meeting for an ordinance adopting the uniform method of levying a non -ad valorem assessment for fire rescue services. ITEM BACKGROUND: The budget for Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR) services over the past several years has failed to allow for capital programs and staffing levels adequate to meet state and national mandated levels. As a result, MCFR has identified funding needs that could be met by a non - ad valorem assessment, which means that the specific citizens who are using the benefits would be paying for the services. As the first step statutorily and legally required to proceed with said program, an ordinance laying out the mechanics of the non -ad valorem assessment program was scheduled to go before the BOCC at the March 19, 2008 public hearing, but after staff recommendation, has now been delayed for one month until the April 16, 2008 BOCC meeting. Advertising has not yet been done. We are now requesting to advertise for the April meeting. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: On December 19, 2007, there was a public hearing for and the Board approved, a Resolution of Intent authorizing the use of the uniform method to collect non -ad valorem assessments to fund Fire Services in the unincorporated area of Monroe County. On February 20, 2008, the Board approved to advertise a public hearing at the March 19, 2008 BOCC meeting for an ordinance adopting the uniform method of levying a non -ad valorem assessment for fire rescue services. CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval. TOTAL COST: COST TO COUNTY: REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes APPROVED BY: County Atty DOCUMENTATION: Included DISPOSITION: Revised 8/06 BUDGETED: Yes No SOURCE OF FUNDS: No _ AMOUNT PER MONTH Year OMB/Purchasing Risk Management Not Required AGENDA ITEM # STATEMENT TO BOCC ON NEW TAXES 3/19/08 I am Stuart McCarty, President of the Sugarloaf Shores Property Owners Association. Thank you,Mr. Mayor and Commissioners, for this opportunity to speak. Most of what I shall read was written by Gordon West, past president of the association and chair of our public policy committee. Gordon could not make today's event. I have been a resident of the,Keys for over 30 years. I cannot recall any time in all those years that this County has faced the financial difficulties that we are facing today. What makes our present situation particularly difficult is that our problems are occurring at the same time that our State and Federal Governments are also facing serious budget problems and will not be bailing us out. And this is a time, particularly here in the Keys, when individuals and families are experiencing serious erosion of their financial positions and when property values are sinking rapidly. No one, however,should be surprised to find that we are where we are today. Our .organization has been a member of a group that has called itself"The Concerned Citizens of the Keys". We have appeared before this Commission repeatedly over the past several years to plead with you to adopt effective approaches to the management of the public business-better planning, better controls, and better communication. Your reluctance to adopt these approaches has led us directly into the position we are now in. You have before you some proposals to create some new taxes designed to pay for things that we citizens had every right to assume that our tax dollars were already paying for— such as fire and emergency personnel and equipment, such as maintaining safe roadways and bridges—and to pay for the design and construction of waste treatment plants that we all knew ten years ago had to be built. Had we been looking and planning ahead, had we been controlling where we were spending our money and staffing our departments, had we been communicating our priorities to our staff and our needs and capabilities to Tallahassee, we would not be where we are. Our Association of over 300 households will oppose any new tax proposals for Monroe County until we see two reports: 1. For the past five years.what were the major sources of revenue that have come to the County? To which of the funds and reserves were they applied, and then to which County Departments, Projects, and Programs were those funds disbursed? What major changes have occurred during this time that could not have been reasonably foreseen, and have brought us to the problems we now have? Such a report is needed by this Commission, and the Public, so that we can make intelligent decisions on corrective actions that can be taken— including the creation of new taxes if necessary. If this Commission has seen such an analysis, we have not. 2. You need,and we need, a Five Year Plan that identifies the goals and objectives and their priorities. You also need to identify the projected revenues, their sources and any anticipated revenue shortfalls during that period. We and you are facing many challenges in overcoming difficulties we are in during the next and following fiscal years. The time has come for us to stop jumping from one annual budget to the next-reacting to each crisis and each demand from each special interest. The time has come to chart a steady course and to demonstrate to the Public and to Tallahassee that Monroe County Government knows how to manage. The people of Sugarloaf shores are not angry people. We like it here and we plan to stay here. But we are disappointed in the way this County has been run. We deserve something better. We want the interests, most particularly safety and welfare, of the people who live here to be respected, to be looked after, and to be given priority. We, and you,need these two reports to answer our two basic questions: 1. How did we get into this mess? 2. What is the plan to get out of it? Then let's talk about taxes. Thank you.