The still-rising costs don’t help the county’s budget, which is acing a $5.5 million revenue loss from dropping property values. Gov. Scott could have minimized the impact, but he refused to ask for a federal emergency declaration, though previous, lesser fires had gotten such a declaration.
Taxes
“You Smirked, Mr. Chairman”: Tea Party Puts County Commission On Notice
A tea party throng of close to 100 people jammed a county commission budget workshop Monday, cheering a promise that any tax increase would result in commissioners being voted out. The math on display was less reliable.
Adding to Mounting Legal Challenges for Scott, Public Employees Sue Over 3% Pension Hit
The class-action lawsuit is filed on behalf of 556,296 public employees, including state workers, teachers and police officers. It echoes frustrations that led the Flagler County School Board to talk lawsuit last week.
Counterpunch: Priceline and Travelocity Sue Over Tourist-Development Bed Taxes
The case is of interest to Flagler, whose Tourist Development Council has been aggressively pursuing avenues, including a lawsuit of its own, to compel online companies to pay their fair share of sales and bed taxes.
Flagler Beach Eyes Reserves and
More Taxes to Make Up Latest Revenue Loss
Flagler Beach has raised taxes for three successive years to make up for falling revenue from collapsing property values. It has a relatively large $3 million reserve, which it will likely use in combination with another tax hike to balance next year’s budget.
Facing $6 Million Hit, County Begins Long Budget Season as Tax Hike Appears Inevitable
County commissioners are unlikely to elicit sympathy from taxpayers—or from employees facing a 3 percent pay cut from new retirement-contribution requirements, and a third year without raises.
Summit-Scaling: Enterprise Flagler, Rising Again, Wants $6.5 Million Over 3 Years
What you can expect at Friday’s economic-development summit: Demands for more tax dollars, speculative promises of thousands of jobs from executives, skepticism and disconnects. In short, a retread of old scenarios.
Reserves and Stratagems All Spent, Palm Coast Faces Up to Higher Taxes and More Cuts
Palm Coast lost $3 million in revenue last year by refusing to raise taxes. It’s about to lose close to $2 million more. The administration and the council are preparing taxpayers for a tax increase–or crippling cuts.
County Property Values Fall Another 14%; Palm Coast: -12%; Tax Rates Heading Up
The declines, for the fourth year in a row, will define to what extent local governments must either raise taxes or cut services as they prepare next year’s budgets. Governments have little room to cut anymore, short of vitals services.
Property Tax Overhaul Passes House: Breaks For New Home Buyers, Business, Snowbirds
First-time home buyers would get a 50 percent property tax break on the value of their home. Voters would decide whether to cap property tax assessment increases for commercial properties at 5 percent.