Most city services and jobs are protected in a proposed budget that will raise taxes enough to bring in almost as much revenue next year as it did this year, with shifts in sales tax dollars to subsidize the general revenue fund.
Taxes
Palm Coast Council Shocked, Shocked To Hear It Ever Had $10 Million for City Hall
The Palm Coast city administration now says that it never had $10 million to build a city hall. The copious record on the matter says otherwise, raising questions about the city’s numbers and verbal shell games.
Palm Coast Sets Intial Tax Rate 14% Higher With Goal of Whittling It Down By September
Palm Coast City Council members are trying desperately to hold the line on property tax increases, but will likely not succeed entirely. The final tax rate will still not translate into a tax increase for most.
Flagler County Tax Rates Will Go Up 12%, But Tax Bills Are More Likely to Go Down
Flagler County’s tax rate is going up for the fourth year in a row to make up for collapsing valuations, but the rise will still not translate into a tax increase for most. The contrary may be true.
Bunnell Commission Says Nyet To Reducing $1 Million Police Force, Whatever the Savings
Bunnell City Commissioner Elbert Tucker proposed reducing the police department’s ranks to cut back its $1 million burden on a $4 million general fund budget. The rest of the commission smacked him down.
Flagler Property Tax Bills Set to Drop Markedly As School Board Keeps 2012 Levy Flat
Contrasting with public perceptions that taxes are going up, a typical house may see a $150 drop from school taxes alone next year, giving Palm Coast and the county more room to maneuver for higher tax rates.
Debt Ceiling Fallacies: How to Pay Down The Deficit Without Really Trying
The debt limit debate could have some catastrophic consequences for the economy, writes Kyle Russell, but politicians aren’t telling the whole story, and the fix isn’t nearly as bad as it may sound.
Water Management District Tax Rate Cut 26%, Reducing Revenue and Gutting Services
The tax bill on a $200,000 house will be $50, down from $62, but the district is laying off employees and reducing conservation, management and partnership projects in line with a new law approved by Gov. Rick Scott.
Tax Fears and $2 Million Gap Have Palm Coast Talking Firehouse Layoffs or End to EMS
The Palm Coast City Council clearly favored more cuts in services than tax increases during its first serious budget discussion of the year Monday, with the city’s fire department appearing to be the likeliest target.
Bunnell’s Challenges: Lawsuits, Layoffs, Deficits, and That $900,000 Police Department
Bunnell entered this year’s budget season facing a $900,000 deficit (about the cost of its police department) and the potential loss of a $1.3 million state contract, among other steep challenges.