Attendee Name	Title	Status	Arrived
Robin Fisher	Chairman / Commissioner District 1	Present
Chuck Nelson	Commissioner District 2	Present
Trudie Infantini	Commissioner District 3	Present
Mary Bolin	Commissioner District 4	Present
Andy Anderson	Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5	Present

 

The invocation was given by an unknown member of the audience.

 

Chairman Robin Fisher led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

 

Howard Tipton, County Manager, stated the County's proposed budget is $934 million; approximately $186 million comes from property taxes; the County's budget is broken down into a number of spending categories; and generally, funds are collected within these areas and can only be utilized for dedicated services and expenses within the categories.  He noted that of the $934 million, 57 percent comes from recurring or annual revenues, which includes the $186 million from property taxes; but also includes federal and State grants, user fees, and other revenues.  He stated this year’s proposed budget reflects priorities that are a part of the County's vision statement; it focuses on public safety and public health, it invests in public infrastructure, it creates jobs and economic development through the provisions of incentives, and maintains fiscal integrity. He stated there have been a number of actions taken over the past few years to reduce the budget, including reducing positions, pay, benefits, expenses, operating hours, outsourcing staff and services, eliminating discretionary spending, and reducing debt; in the last four years, the County has been reduced by over $300 million; and the proposed budget is a reduction of approximately $84 million from the prior year’s adopted budget.  He stated passed in 1992, Save Our Homes (SOH) is a substantial change to the way property taxes are developed; in reviewing the State's Constitution and a number of neighboring county property appraiser web-sites, it is clear that the SOH definition and intent is a cap on the assessed value; that cap is limited to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or three percent, whichever is less, and this year that cap is 1.5 percent; implementation of SOH is the responsibility of the elected Property Appraisers of Florida; and Brevard County is in full compliance with SOH.  He stated in Brevard County the voters have been very clear in their direction to the Board regarding tax rates and tax revenues; in November 2004, 89.5 percent of the voters directed the Board to place an ad in the paper notifying of a tax increase when the Board proposes a tax rate that exceeds the rollback rate; the rollback rate is the rate that allows the County to receive the same amount of tax revenue in the proposed fiscal year as was received in the prior fiscal year; and there is no such ad required, as the proposed budget does not exceed the rollback rate, and is 1.3 percent less than the rollback rate.  He stated in November 2008, 73 percent of the voters directed that the Board cap annual increases to property tax revenues to a tax rate that produces tax revenues that are the lesser of three percent, or the change in the CPI; and the proposed budget does not violate that direction of the voters, as there will be slightly less collected in property tax revenues next year.  He stated Brevard County's property tax rate provides the least amount of tax revenue in Central Florida; it does not supplement property taxes with additional taxes like the Public Service Tax (PST), optional sales tax, or additional gas tax; Brevard County's overall tax rate structure is the lowest in Central Florida and one of the lowest in Florida; and Brevard County continues to enjoy a highly competitive regional and statewide tax position for job development.  He noted from the FY 2012 major tax comparison chart, Brevard County is in the middle in terms of the millage rate generating the least amount of revenue in Central Florida; one of the key reasons for why Brevard County's revenues are less is because so much of the commercial base is on federally owned property, which is exempt from property taxes; the Florida property tax system is extremely complex; ultimately, the tax bill depends on two things, one of which is the value of a person’s property, which is the responsibility of the Property Appraiser, and the other is the tax rate, which is the responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners.  He advised of the impacts regarding the effect of the proposed budget on County tax bills, over 65 percent of property owners will pay the same or see a decrease; 81 percent of commercial owners will pay the same or see a decrease; two percent of property owners will pay more because of improvements to his or her properties or because of new construction; and over half of the remaining 33 percent will pay $36 or less for the year.  He concluded by saying Brevard County continues to go through challenging economic times, and yet the future must be looked at; and the proposed budget supports a stronger community by making strong commitments towards public safety, public health, investing in public infrastructure, supporting job creation, and continuing to maintain fiscal integrity.

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for the public hearing to consider an announcement of percentage change in the FY 2011-2012 tentative aggregate millage over the aggregate rolled back rate.

 

Alphonso Jefferson, Budget Director, advised the aggregate rolled back rate is 7.3391 mills, the aggregate tentative rate is 7.2394, and the percentage change is 1.36 percent, including voted millages.

 

Chairman Fisher called for the public hearing to listen to public comment on the revised tentative County Budget for FY 2011-2012.

 

Alphonso Jefferson, Budget Director, stated the revised tentative County Budget for FY 2011-2012 is $934,325,814, the revised tentative budget represents a decrease of 8.24 percent, or $83,913,174 from the FY 2011 adopted budget of $1,018,238,988.

 

Nancy Dillen, representing the Melbourne Library Board, expressed thanks to the Board for supporting the libraries last year; and stated support is needed again this year.  She provided the Board with a handout of numbers from the Eau Gallie, Melbourne, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Libraries; she stated during the last 11 months, over 500,000 people walked through the doors, and 696,320 items were checked out; and she hopes the Board continues to support the libraries. 

 

Jay Moynahan stated he supports the proposed FY 2012 budget; the Board will hear from many people who do not support the budget, but he thinks the non-supporters are only looking at it from his or her own personal standpoint and not for the good of all the citizens of Brevard County; and commented on the importance of public safety and libraries.  He stated the millage rate is definitely being raised, but that does not mean that what a person pays in taxes is being raised; and the fact is, under the proposed budget, total tax revenues for 2012 will go down compared to 2011, not up.  He stated there has to be good infrastructure and nice amenities in order for a company to relocate to Brevard and bring jobs; it takes money to maintain quality; and the proposed budget will maintain that quality at minimal cost to the taxpayers.

 

Judy Davis, Melbourne Library Board Chairman, stated it is essential for the Board to support programs that give the most return on investment and to promote education, job research, and application opportunities.  She advised libraries enable children with limited economic backgrounds to complete his or her schoolwork in a safe and supportive environment; libraries provide locations for clubs, non-profit organizations, and civic groups to meet; there already are significant scheduling difficulties because of the diminished library services and availability; and library financial support has been scaled back to draconian levels.  She urged the Board to engage the School Board and local colleges to develop programs where students are apprenticed at libraries, by developing curriculum programs that will give students credit in practical location and experience; and also urged the Board to speak with State Representatives and ask the legislature to provide a portion of the Florida Lotto to support libraries. 

 

Nicholas Miele stated often, the Sheriff's Office gets behind, and the reason is there are too many calls for service in the West Precinct; Suntree sometimes does not have deputies servicing the area because they are servicing Cocoa and West Cocoa in calls involving crimes against persons as opposed to crimes against property in the Viera/Suntree areas; and stated the Sheriff's Office may be shorthanded.  He stated it is his understanding that if the Budget is not approved, the Sheriff might have to lay off 38 deputies; the Sheriff has to be able to hire the people he needs and have the necessary equipment; and stated the Sheriff's Office needs to be supported by the Board.

 

Rosemary Orner, Friends of Melbourne Beach Library Board of Directors, commented on the importance of libraries on having an educated and literate population; and stated according to the U.S. Department of Education,  children who have not developed basic skills or had some interaction with a reading system by the time he or she enters school, are three to four times more likely to drop out in later years.  She further commented on the importance of libraries to children, and concluded by reading aloud a quote by Orville Prescott. 

 

Judith Myers stated she is a lifelong resident of Brevard County; she spoke to the Board one year ago on the same topic; she took pictures yesterday of 41 library patrons waiting to enter the Eau Gallie Library when it opened at noon; the individuals ranged in age from four to 81 years; patrons are horrified to discover the library does not open until noon on Mondays; and she takes every opportunity on Mondays when she is volunteering at the library to inform her fellow citizens exactly whom he or she have to thank for the inconvenience when they have wasted gas coming to an unopened library.  She stated if the Board is committed to maintaining Brevard as an area with a high quality of life, how does it explain to citizens considering moving to Brevard or bringing industry to Brevard, that education and a functioning library system are not a high priority; and noted Brevard County is ranked 44th in the country for high school graduation rates.  She stated she would like the Board to consider the potential long-term effects of the Board's short-term decision making, and particularly in the case of contributing to unemployment lines and juvenile detention halls; and she strongly encourages everyone to go to www.opensecrets.org and investigate who the donors are to candidates in the 2012 elections. 

 

Michael Mauro stated he supports the law enforcement budget; unemployment stems and goes into higher crime; there is no value that can be put on a life; and any time there is a 9-1-1 call, a dispatcher has to make a decision as to where to disburse officers to; and stated with more deputies on the road, response times are faster.

Patrick Moynhan stated he is in support of the law enforcement budget; any diminishing in the Sheriff's budget would be detrimental to the welfare of the people of Brevard County; and he fully supports the Sheriff's Office. 

 

Vincent Varvaro stated he is a resident of Brevard County with three young children; he supports the budget for the law enforcement MSTU; what people may not understand is 38 deputies is a very significant number; and if 38 deputies are cut, it would be a very serious timeline when calling the police.  He asked the Board to approve the budget for law enforcement for the safety of the community.

 

Marilyn Schiff, President of Friends of the Libraries in Palm Bay, stated libraries continue to be a very important means of resources for all the members in the community; patrons use the computers to look for jobs, students use the library system for academic projects, pre-school children are introduced to reading at story time, and seniors enjoy a quiet place to read.  She the Palm Bay Friends organization, through fundraising efforts, continues to support the libraries with programs, books, shelving, and carpeting; but it cannot keep the employees' jobs secure, or the library doors still open for business.  She stated she hopes the Board will continue to support the need for libraries in the community.

 

Donald J. Flammio stated he is in support of the Sheriff's budget; the economy is getting tougher and tougher, and crime is going up because of it; and a cut to the Sheriff would be detrimental to the residents in the County.  He concluded by asking the Board to support the Sheriff's budget.

 

Peter Fusscas stated the Board should support the Sheriff's Office, Fire and Rescue, and Libraries; and inquired why the Board chose to ignore suggestions by an industry review study to be more effective and efficient.  He stated knowing the rate of unemployment in Brevard County, the Board chose to give a pay raise, and in turn raise the millage rate on the declining property values.  He concluded by saying it is the citizens of Brevard County that are in need in these very difficult times.  

 

Reverend Earl Medlen stated he supports the libraries, police, and fire department, as they are essential services; but what he cannot see is $1 million horse stables, and the Crab Shack.  He concluded saying the Board needs to start cutting things that is not its job to do. 

 

John Weiler stated the Board has said that a tax millage rate increase is not a tax increase; and he also has been told only 30 percent of the property owners will have an actual out-of-pocket tax increase and it would typically be very small.  He added, the assessed value of his home increased by 1.5 percent this year; the out-of-pocket tax increased by 17.4 percent over last year; last year, his tax increase was 9.2 percent; and in two years his property tax on a 1978 home has increased by 26.6 percent.  He went on to say it is a fact that 10 to 14 percent of the County is unemployed; people on social security have not received a cost-of-living increase for the last several years; many homes are being foreclosed; and Brevard County is not attracting new businesses at the same rate that businesses are closing, and therefore, jobs are leaving the County. 

 

Ed Priselac stated everyone is aware of the likely pay raise on the table; in truth, the pay raise is not a major part of the budget at less than one percent; and the employees are also taxpayers and are impacted by any increase in millage.  He stated that addition to the funding could easily be offset by just a one percent cut across the board; the problem is how the monies are appropriated and spent; there are CRA's, enterprise zones, and redevelopment areas taking money out of the General Fund; and the General Fund is what runs the County.   He asked all of the County employees to start looking at the budget online; it is not disloyal to question things; and it is the right of every American citizen to stand up for their rights.

 

Ray Reeves stated the County cannot afford to cut any of the Sheriff's deputies; they are the most important function, along with the firefighters, that the County has for the protection of everyone in Brevard County.  He addressed the concern over the millage rate, because once it goes up it tends to never fall; the Board must take a look at the future and not just at this year; the rate increase is going to bump against the three percent and higher every year; he disagrees with the millage rate increase, and thinks there is other tax savings in the budget.  He concluded by saying retirees have declining incomes and cannot afford to get priced out of their houses again; and asked the Board to please look at savings elsewhere.

Bob White stated everyone has been told this does not constitute a tax increase; and he knows Commissioners Fisher, Nelson, and Bolin have all come out already in support of the increase in the millage rate.  He inquired if the Board would agree that the assessed value and millage rate are tied together; and stated every single resident in Brevard is going to pay more in property taxes this year than they otherwise would, and that is an increase in taxes.

 

Robert Sullivan stated the fiscal task ahead of the Board will not be easy but he is certain it will be able to reconcile a financially sound budget; and as the Board considers reductions in funding, he asks that it not reduce the funding to the Sheriff's Office.  He added, Sheriff Parker has saved the County millions of dollars with forward thinking initiatives and cost saving strategies; and Sheriff Parker is responsible to the taxpayers.  He stated to cut funding to the Sheriff's budget would ultimately result in fewer deputies protecting families; and now is certainly not the time to consider reducing the number of deputies.    

 

Roger Gangitano stated he does not think anyone wants to cut libraries, police, or fire services; and the viewpoint that any reduction in taxes will impact these services first and foremost is disingenuous.  He stated Scott Knox, County Attorney, indicated that the aggregate rollback rate was calculated based on the current taxable value and the tax rate needed to collect the same revenue as the previous year; Mr. Knox stated the rate was required by Florida Law; however, what Mr. Knox and the Board failed to communicate was that the fact of the calculation of the aggregate rollback rate is required in order to determine if the rate being adopted must be advertise as a tax increase or not.  He went on to say there is absolutely no requirement of any taxing authority to actually adopt the rollback rate; and that omission left the some taxpayers believing that the Board of County Commissioners had no option but to adopt that millage rate increase. 

 

Teresa Demark thanked Commissioners Infantini and Anderson for not supporting the proposed millage rate.  She stated Florida, along with California, is one of the worst states for real estate sales; and to bring up the sales tax now is not a smart thing.  She concluded by saying there are more short sales and foreclosures coming if the taxes go up.

 

Penny Canales stated the financial crisis that the County is feeling at all levels of the government is due to excess spending; Brevard County must stop spending money that it does not have; and it needs to live with its means.  She added, just because she objects to something being done by a the government does not mean that she objects to that thing being done at all, or that it be reduced to a level of complete inefficiency; for example, because she objects to a increase millage rate, it does not mean that she wants police services eliminated or reduced to a point where they are useless.  She asked that the Board vote no to the proposed tax rate increase and ask the County Manager to work on a budget using last year's millage rate.

 

Al Boettjer, President of The Woods Homeowners Association in Port St. John, stated he has had the opportunity to call emergency services for a number of different circumstances, and within three minutes the emergency responders and the Sheriff's office were there; and those are services that are essential to the citizens.  He added, he trusts the Board will have a budget that works for the citizens and maintain emergency services, particularly the Sheriff's office.

Barbara Knick stated one out of six people is at poverty level, and poverty increases crime.  She noted she is not against the firemen, policemen, or the libraries, but the reality is that this country is suffering; people are losing their homes; and if the Board increases taxes, it will just be another burden.  She stated there has to be cuts in the budget that do not require a millage rate increase; and asked the Board to look at the budget and find ways to cut the millage rate. 

 

Louis R. Pernice stated he is in support of the Sheriff's budget without any reduction.  He added, over the years he has seen increases in crime; since he lives in the unincorporated areas he relies heavily on the Sheriff's Office to protect his family; and he would disagree with any cuts to the Sheriff's budget, especially those that might lead to the layoffs of deputies.  He noted, a strong law enforcement presence is a public imperative, not a convenience; if the level of protection is diminished by cutbacks or layoffs, then tourists will not visit, businesses will not open up, and potential residents will not relocate to Brevard.  He urged the Board to support the Sheriff's budget without any reductions. 

 

Francis Herr stated Grant-Valkaria is a high drug traffic area and asked how much money that brings into the area; and stated the County is no longer a nice place to live because it is a high drug traffic area.  He stated the poverty level is around $36,000; the medium income for Brevard County is $46,000; and Brevard County residents do not have a lot of money to spend.  He went on to say of Indian River, Volusia, Osceola, Brevard, Seminole, and Orange Counties, Brevard County is the fourth highest budget; and Brevard County is the next to the bottom, population wise. 

 

Alice Kreitz stated nearly 12,000 foreclosure filings in the first five months of this year is dramatic evidence that after five years of record foreclosures the problem is real; and the unemployment rate is high.  She noted the Board is spending a lot of money on capital improvements and projects, such as building an 18,000 square-foot community center at Wickham Park; and stated Brevard County does not have the funds to operate the existing community centers.  She commented on the horse barns in Wickham Park and the Crab Shack being bought with taxpayer money, along with EEL projects. 

 

John Schantzen, President of the North Merritt Island Homeowners Association, stated there are 7,000 residents from the Barge Canal to Kennedy Space Center, and everyone enjoys the services that it has under the County representation, and wants to maintain all of the services.  He stated his taxes have been low because he has the Save Our Homes exemption, and he is merely catching up from what he should have been paying along; and he does not begrudge the increase he has seen in the TRIM notice.  He mentioned he does volunteer work, which hopefully saves on tax funds; and if more people would consider doing volunteer work, the County would continue to be a great place to live, maintaining low cost for homes.  

Mary Hillberg stated she is in support of the proposed budget; the proposal provides 88 percent of commercial properties with no change, a slight increase of 76 percent; and this is a matter of catching up, as she also has been under Save Our Homes.  She added, she too is a retiree and on a fixed income and will pay more. 

 

Bill Hillberg read aloud a letter from County homeowners, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Selman, who are in favor of the proposed budget.

 

Maurice Mesmer, Veterans Memorial Center, thanked the Board for its support through the years; he explained the Veterans Memorial Center is a non-profit volunteer organization, employing hundreds of people at no pay; the Center supports all veterans, active and retired; and the Center gets a lot of support from the community, including MIRA (Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency).   He went on to say MIRA is in the process of developing a water treatment pond on a proposed Veterans Memorial Park; and the development of the water treatment pond will allow the park to meet Federal guidelines that prevents it from dumping water into the estuary.  He concluded by saying the thing he would like the Board to remember about MIRA is that it tries to create jobs and businesses to make more money, pay taxes, and employ more people who pay taxes; and he asked the Board to support MIRA.         

Amy Tidd stated there is a war being fought by the County employees; it is a serious war that is fought at night by planes, boats, and people spraying; she is talking about Mosquito Control; and Mosquito Control is what taxes pay.  She read aloud a statistic from 2011, stating that the mosquito activity in Brevard County more than doubled than what was expected, Mosquito Control anticipates treating more acres this year than last, and mosquito treatments have increased over 250 percent over last year.  She stated the primary function of government is to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizen's.  She concluded by saying to vote against the budget is a vote for more crime, less firefighters, less libraries, and more mosquito's; and she supports the budget.

 

John McCarthy stated every taxpayer has tightened his or her belts, and suggested the Board do the same.  He added, he is not against cuts in services, he is against more money taken out of his pocket and being spent foolishly; and the Board needs to take a look at where the money is going and if it does not benefit everybody or is not necessary, it should be eliminated.  

 

Vince Lamb stated the budget workshops last year showed a severe problem that could result if the budget cuts were approximately 12 percent.  He noted he currently spends about 40 to 80 hours each month working as a volunteer for the County; his work involves close interaction with Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, the EEL Program, and the Sheriff's Office; the opportunities have provided him insight to how the County employees are dealing with budget pressures; employees have been trying hard to maintain high moral; they clearly derive personal satisfaction from the work they are doing to benefit the public; and overall, the employees are doing the best they can do deal with some difficult times.  He concluded by saying the role of County government is to efficiently provide services to the people that are not provided by the State; and he urges the Board to approve the budget and the millage rate.   

 

Joel Shugars stated the Board does not appear to care about the wishes of the citizens; the United States government is suffering dismally low approval ratings; the President is at 40 percent, and Congress is at 12 percent; and while the same people polled give a 78 percent approval and confidence to the military, because the military is not perceived as being political.  He went on to say the military acts with honor, which is what he demands of elected officials; he holds all elected officials to the same standards he holds himself; and they are elected to represent the citizens.  He stated if the Board did not build a new community center at Wickham Park, did not buy land for the EEL Program, and if it would use some of the reserves funds in Mosquito Control and not give employees a 2.5 raise, it would save $16 million with no reduction to the Sheriff's Office and firefighters.

 

Sheriff Jack Parker thanked for the citizens who spoke such wonderful things about the deputies.  He supports the 4:1 decision the Commission made for the 2.5 percent increase; the County budget has gone down $400 million since 2008, and is going down another $80 million next year; and over 400 employees have been reduced since 2008.  He stated the Board has responded to the very difficult times; it has made a lot of tough decisions; and he supports the Commission.  

 

Linda Behret stated she supports the budget; she believes the County needs all of the services that are in the budget, such as Library Services, Parks and Recreation, and all the other things that contribute to the quality of life in Brevard.  She added, the County has 19 different sanctuaries, conservation areas, and preserves provided by the EEL Program for over 20 years, which are free to visit and offer many things to do.  She concluded by saying she supports all of the programs in the budget and thanked the Commission.    

Joe Pishgar stated he has with him Commissioner Infantini's proposed budget reductions; he is unsettled at the contempt shown to the citizens of Brevard County in the reductions; and the overwhelming majority of the cuts have little or nothing to do with the actual effective tax rate, such as $630,000 from the Housing and Human Services Department, of which the County Manager said only $63,000 has anything to do with property taxes.  He stated Commissioner Infantini's $4.5 million proposed budget cut from the EEL Program is also not associated with the property tax millage; and there is a proposed $560,000 reduction from the Natural Resources Department, of which only $25,000 is related to property tax, with the rest coming from grants.  He stated Commissioner Infantini proposes $2.7 million in cuts across-the-board to salaries of County departments; and he inquired if her employees received a raise.  Commissioner Infantini responded the raises were retracted.  Mr. Pishgar went on to say the proposed reduction of $900,000 from Mosquito Control would make the department unable to call an emergency spray aircraft or procure needed chemicals in the event of a mosquito virus outbreak; the cuts from Parks and Recreation is less than half that is associated with property taxes, and include cutting programs and summer camps for kids; closing Community Centers around Brevard County further lowers property values; and $3.3 million in proposed cuts from Fire Rescue would result in daily shut-downs of ambulance and fire engines with 9-1-1 dispatchers unable to receive recertification, and the contents of fire engines and stations could no longer being insured.  He stated $2.5 million in proposed cuts from the Sheriff's Office would force the closure of two of three tents at the jail, instantly subjecting the County to federal lawsuits of overcrowding.  He stated Commissioner Infantini's proposed cuts are not about smaller government, they are about no government; Brevard's mandate is government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  He urged the Board to oppose the horrific cuts and responsibly fund libraries, EEL, parks, firefighters, and the Sheriff's Office.

 

Dennis Porter stated he fully supports the proposed millage rates, he appreciates the difficult times that have forced everyone to look at the quality of life in Brevard County; his taxes are not going up; the tax revenues have not gone up; and there is no tax increase.

 

Michael Kay stated Monday, September 12, 2011, The Wall Street Journal had an article about Greece announcing a new tax as unrest flairs; the Greek government said it would impose a new property tax to cover $2.7 billion projects revenue shortfalls this year, in line with the promise to its international creditors, in exchange for receiving fresh aid; the Greek Finance Minister said the property tax being imposed over the next two years was decided by an extraordinary Cabinet meeting with growing fears of a Greek default in the weeks ahead; and the property tax collected through monthly electricity bills would average $4 per square meter, per 10.8 square feet.  He stated his request is not to go the way of Greece.

 

Martin Adams advised he is one of the 13 percent who is having a stealth tax increase with a $1,300 increase over the past two years; and his property taxes are the single largest expense he has on a fixed budget.  He stated in March he attended a County budget process meeting; he had inquired what the marching orders were for all of the departments; he was told by County Manager Howard Tipton that he did not have marching orders; Mr. Tipton believed that making cuts to avoid a millage increase was inconsistent with the vision of the County and the priorities of the Commission; and Mr. Tipton referred to the budget as a status quo.  He stated the property values and the economic problems get most of the attention and blame, but that is not where the real problem is; the real problem is that in the past 10 years County government has grown by 56 percent in total budget terms; and it actually peaked at a higher level in 2008.  He suggested the Board have open minds and look at that seriously.

 

Tony Bertino stated he and his wife are against the three Commissioners in favor of the millage, or tax, increase; food, energy, fuel, taxes, and service prices have increased, but salaries have not; he is fortunate to be working as a School Bus Driver, but he has not had a salary increase, plus now he has to contribute to his own pension; and he feels as though he is doing his part and is happy to have a job in these tough times.  He inquired how many other people in Brevard County know that this meeting is even being held tonight, or even know what a millage rate is; he would like the Board to consider those folks; and he wants the Board to vote against the millage rate increase and consider it Brevard's own Stimulus Plan.

 

David Norman stated he has heard several definitions of quality of life, but to him, one of the big qualities of life is having money in his savings and checking accounts; and not raising the millage rate would give him a lot of quality of life.  He stated he looked at Commissioner Infantini's list of proposed reductions; he looked into the $4.5 million in EEL purchases, and inquired why it is even there, and if it is a holding place for something.  He inquired if the $3 million in overtime expenditures are absolutely needed, along with $3.3 million for a community center; and he challenges the Commissioners to challenge the County Manger to go back to the budget and look at all of the departments that have not defined budget areas to reduce or cut them all together, which might get the County at 2.9 percent and the milliage would not have to be raised at all. 

 

 

The Board recessed at 7:47 p.m. and reconvened at 8:01 p.m.

 

Barbara Kurtz stated she supports the budget, specifically the millage increase; for most, it will mean no increase because property values have fallen, and some may even pay less than last year; but for a few, like herself, who have saved thousands of dollars over the years with Save Our Homes (SOH), it means paying a few more dollars, as the assessment raises no more than three percent a year until it catches up with the actual value of her home; and she is more than willing to pay the few dollars more than she will pay this year, in order to support libraries, EEL, and first responders.

 

Michael Wilson stated a petition was put together opposing the 16.6 percent millage increase; and there are approximately 2,500 signatures on the petition that he would like to present to the Board.  He stated there are approximately 2,500 concerned citizens who are against the millage increase; he has learned that if one person complains, there are probably 16 who did not complain; and if the 2,500 citizens are multiplied by a factor of 15, it represents 37,500 citizens.  He stated the 37,500 are opposed to the millage increase, not opposed to County workers, firefighters, police, and libraries.  He respectfully asked the Board to cut its budget just 2.9 percent.

 

Mike Corcoran stated the Board is proposing one of the greatest tax hikes in the history of Brevard County with a 31 percent increase in two years; Brevard has the highest unemployment numbers in the State of Florida and in the United States; and Brevard real estate is already suffering a greater decline than 90 percent of America.  He stated Brevard County was a relatively inexpensive county to live in a few years ago, but under this leadership, Brevard County has climbed to the 22nd most expensive county out of the 67 counties in Florida; most counties are holding its millage rates steady, a few are lowering the millage rate, and a few are debating raising the millage five percent; and there is nothing near Brevard's 16 percent increase.  He concluded in the past, the Board has not heard what was said, instead it uses its pulpit to make excuses for its funding and high budgets; and residents are begging the Board to not punish them and demand it listens to the outrage of yet another millage rate increase. 

 

Helen Voltz stated everybody already knows what the outcome of the vote is going to be; she suggested a way to save a lot of money in the budget for next year is by privatizing the landfill and saving money on employees and pensions; and maybe the Board can get rid of the land west of U.S. 192 to be able to save millions of dollars in the budget. 

 

Ron Bartcher, Friends of the Mims Library, Scottsmoor President, expressed his thanks to the Board for passing a financially responsible tax millage rate; last year he asked the Board to provide a millage rate that would maintain the current level of service for libraries, which was able to be done; today he is asking the Board again to maintain that same level of service; the millage rate passed last month will do that; and according to his TRIM notice, he will again get a tax decrease.  He stated libraries provide services that are critical in these hard times, such as free computer use with internet access, which is essential to laid off workers getting unemployment benefits, as well as finding a new job; older citizens on a fixed income can utilize free training if he or she does not know how to operate a computer through the library; and the real measure of society is how it treats its most vulnerable members when times are tough, and cutting library services would hurt those who can afford it the least.

 

Mark Mathusa stated his tax rates have gone up by double digits two years in a row; taxpayer monies are dependent upon a viable private sector, the engine of the economy is driven by the private sector; and he knows the increased tax rates allow for raises to covenant voting blocks, including teachers, counties employees, and college professors who, in addition to generous vacations and benefits, now work four days, where it use to be five.  He stated one in seven Americans are on food stamps, there are massive amounts of foreclosures, there has been the loss of the Shuttle Program, and an increase in gas and food prices; and now the Board want to increase property tax rates again, which will only further damage the crippled economy.  He stated if the Board has any sense of economic history, it knows that increasing tax rates will decrease economic activity and living standards; taxpayers must get by with what they have; they must live within their means; and it is time for the Commissioners to use the money they have and not squeeze it out of the decreasing number of taxpayers.

 

Maureen Rupe, Partnership for a Sustainable Future, stated the Partnership supports Commissioners Nelson, Bolin, and Fisher, Sheriff Parker, Fire Rescue, Library Services, Parks and Recreation, and quality of life; some individuals would like the EEL Program to be disbanded, but it is a voter mandated program and is there by the will of the people; and she is glad those individuals are not her elected officials.  She stated her taxes increased, but she has had 27 years of benefit from SOH; she inquired what was said to the people who signed the petition, because if it is the same redirect she has been hearing for months, she is not surprised it was signed; and she honestly thinks if the question was put to ballot, the people would vote for the proposed budget just as they voted for Commissioners Nelson and Bolin over the opposing parties.

 

Judith Weaver stated her tax bill for this year is $6,200; no one is against public safety or public health issues; she has a feeling that some of the people who have spoken about passing the budget with the millage increase feel that if the Board does not do that, the public safety and public health departments will be cut back; and she does not think that is necessary.  She stated mandates in the current federal administration was that all federal employees would receive no pay raises for the next two years, and that has been extended; and unfortunately, it is a necessity that Brevard County employees should be in the same position as federal employees.  She added, she respects County Manager Howard Tipton and knows he has an extremely hard job to do, but the citizens should not be asked to make his job any easier; stated this is the worst economic depression since the Great Depression of the 1930's; and emphasized this is not the time to raise taxes.

 

An unidentified speaker stated he owns 31 properties in Brevard County, he lives in West Melbourne; and stated his tax bill last year was $137,000.  He stated nothing he has heard tonight is what he heard from some of the Commissioners when they were running for office; and inquired if the Commissioners are seeking reelection or leaving office.  He stated as a businessman, Brevard County is not a good place to conduct business; and he is willing to suffer through it, but needs the Board's help by not passing a millage increase. 

Judy Lipofsky read aloud a statement from Linda Gombert, who asked that the millage rate not be raised.  Ms. Lipofsky stated she and Ms. Gombert are unpaid volunteers at the Agricultural Extension Service; and she concurs with Ms. Gombert that the millage rate should not be raised.

 

Cindy Flachmeier stated there are about 1,000 people in Brevard County who receive Meals on Wheels; and she would like the Board to make sure that the senior citizens continue to have a good meal five days a week.

 

Diana Schommer stated she understands what the Board is doing with the budget; it keeps increasing the budget to try to keep the same amount of monies that it has always had; nobody has the same amount of money they always had and are doing with less, but the County is still trying to maintain the same budget; and noted the National Association of Realtors has already identified five million foreclosures nationwide for this country in the year 2013.  She stated from 2003 to 2004 the budget was $750 million; it increased to $1.16 billion  in the 2006-2007 budget, which is an $410 million increase in three to four years; government cannot continue to grow at that rate; taxpayers cannot handle it; and she believes the population growth has not grown that much to pay that difference in the taxation.  She concluded a lot of people made a lot of efforts to be present today to speak, and she appreciates the Board listening to everyone, but the meeting should have been held in a bigger venue.

 

Mike Cunningham stated it was 280 years ago that Ben Franklin set up the free library system that everyone enjoys today; Brevard County has done much to see that the principles of that original library continues; and noted the original libraries that Mr. Franklin founded were for Yale and Harvard Universities.  He stated libraries are what help keep the quality of life; today, he picked up a reference request from his library for the last month, it had 5,264 requests; and those were requests for help in seeking jobs.

 

Bill Breyer read aloud an email he sent to the Commissioners in August, expressing his resentment of the proposed millage rate increase.  He commented on the high unemployment rate in Brevard County, number of jobs lost at the space center, and the large number of foreclosures in the County.

 

Steve Cordell, owner of Waterline Marina, stated he heard Sheriff Parker speak earlier about how his employees have not had a raise in several years; and stated his business is off by over 30 percent, he has not had a raise in years himself, and his employees have not been able to get a raise, but they are glad to had a job; and he does think this is the time to give County employees a two and a half percent raise.  He stated he thinks the community center at Wickham Park is the kind of thing that needs to be cut; and the essentials need to be kept, such as fire and police.

 

Chairman Fisher stated for the record, this budget does not include building a community center.

.

Anne Coleman stated citizens voted for a three percent cap, but there is a proposed millage rate of nearly 20 percent; and under Florida Statutes it is not considered an increase.  She stated there are 160 people who signed a statement that says "Stop infringing on us, the Nation is facing a crisis, and Brevard County is included".  She stated property values are severely depressed, people are continuing to lose jobs, with many businesses and business owners hurting and closing shop; and therefore, the people say no to pay increases for County personnel and to capital improvement projects, such as the Wickham Park Community Center.

 

Clyde Thodey stated the citizens of Merritt Island pay double taxation on the library, it is paid to the County and goes into improving the library every year; and suggested some of that be done with municipalities if people really want libraries to be improved.  He stated he has two people in his family in law enforcement; and crime in Brevard County has not risen, it has gone down.  He noted he is an Officer of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee; there is a republican Governor, a legislative body that is republican, and on the Commission there are four republicans; and he does not understand why Commissioners Bolin and Nelson are not acting with conservative values.  He commented on being a business owner for 40 years, employing 25 people and then having to lay them off; and stated he has lost over $200,000 in the last two years.

 

Floyd Peede stated there is some bureaucratic double-talk that says the tax raise is not a tax raise, but it is; one day the houses will come back, and inquired when they do, will the millage rate be lowered.  He stated in the last 10 years he has had four pay cuts; his company eventually went out of business, and he is unemployed; at 63 years old he has applied for 250 jobs; and he is an engineer with an advanced degree, but he has not even had an interview.  He stated he does not begrudge the County employees of the 2.5 percent increase, but many others have not had a raise in years; and he urged the Board to not raise taxes again.

 

Wayne Cormier stated he does not understand why taxes are being raised again; and to add insult to injury, the Board is going to allow a pay raise while he continues to struggle with his own business, which is down 50 percent; he has four kids, and he is having a tough time paying bills; and when he is hit with a $500 tax increase in one year and $400 last year, he cannot afford it. 

 

Sara Ann Conkling stated she has heard many people tonight repeat that the Commissioners do not listen and do not care; however, there is not a single Commissioner that does not listen or does not care; and stated the budget has already been cut to the bone. She stated there is no public transportation at night to get folks to this meeting; and she is going to be the voice for all of the people who are not present because perhaps he or she is a veteran living in the woods, does not have a car, or a home, and every other economically disenfranchised individual residing in Brevard County who depends on public transportation to get everywhere, including public meetings.  She stressed she is speaking out for everyone who has an economic hardship and could not afford the gas to drive to Viera; these are people who need representation at this meeting; and these are the people who desperately need the government services that this budget is going to support.  She stated she supports all of the Commissioners, whether she agrees with them or not.

Steven Lindsley stated the aviation company he works for has been hit pretty hard by the economy; when business is down costs have to be cut, which directly affects employees and suppliers; and his company is now half the size it was in 2008, and every remaining employee has taken a 10 percent pay cut, with management taking a 20 percent cut in pay.  He stated the County should be ran no differently than how his company has been running with significantly less revenue; his executive team has had to make some really tough decisions; and it is time for County government to have to do the same.  He stated he assumes the Board is going to vote to raise taxes; and stated Commissioner Bolin is his Commissioner and she needs to be acting like a republican.

 

Gary Johnson inquired if the Commissioners are listening, because three of them have obviously made up their minds about adopting the proposed budget because it is already being spent by granting wage increases of $565,000 to union workers; and it seems the Board is ignoring the public, with the exceptions of Commissioners Anderson and Infantini.  He stated the bloated County budget needs to be reduced accordingly, as there is too much waste; and inquired how many golf courses are really needed and paid for out of the municipal taxes.

 

Peter Martin stated he has two houses that are facing foreclosure; he had an income that has been reduced almost by 90 percent; and he uses the library every day to apply for jobs outside Florida.  He stated overall tax revenues and millage should not be capped; decreases and total revenues should not be lowered to a point of reducing public servants and County services; the milliage should have been rolled back during the bubble; now there are reduced revenues for three years in a row; and he supports the budget, but there are a lot of public safety issues, such as landfills, potable water, sewage treatment, and law enforcement, that cannot afford to go any lower.

 

David Hand stated he recently lost his job and has been using the computers and reference section of the Satellite Beach library to look for jobs; he would be lost without the library and the staff who help him with the computers; and he asked the Board to not make any further cuts in the reference staff or the number of computers available.

 

Chuck Bogle, City of Titusville Fire Chief and Space Coast Fire Chiefs Association President, expressed his thanks for the continuous support for the funding of the Advanced Life Support Program, and thanked the County Manager for meeting with representatives of his organization to discuss ways to ensure continued funding based upon the presented business plan from last year; and stated he is looking forward to working with the County in the future.

 

Mark Shantzis stated between 2003 and 2011 there have been increases of 60 percent in nine County departments, while the population only increased by seven percent; in the Planning Department in 2003/2004 the budget went from $9.2 million to $23 million; and there are some questions now as to why it went up and why $23 million is needed for that department.  He added, the countywide property tax revenues from 1991 to 2001 went up $10 million; from 2001 to 2011 it went up $113 million; his numbers are from real estate and property taxes; and everyone has come to distrust this Commission. 

 

Harold Jacobsen stated he moved to Brevard County in 2009, and this is the third property tax he would be paying this year; in mid-August he received letters from Commissioners Infantini and Fisher, and he is glad the letters came because he would have missed today's meeting; and he missed last year's meeting, but did learned about the 14.4 percent increase.  He stated a 31 percent over one year is a significant increase; upon receiving his 2011 proposed property tax, he was surprised to learn that in addition to the significant millage, he was reappraised higher; Commissioner Fisher's letter indicated that 76.2 percent of property owners would get lower property taxes; and he is guessing he was lucky to be in the 23.8 percentage. 

 

Jim Stone stated he sent the Commission a letter a few weeks ago, but has not received any responses; he also sent a letter to the Editor of Florida TODAY, which was published Monday that shares his feelings; and he read aloud his first letter to the Commissioners.  He stated it bothers him that there has been no input from the home building industry; he left Aerospace in 2000, and went into the home building industry; and felt he was pretty well off until 9/11, when 15 percent of his funds were lost, along with the 30 percent he lost with Enron.  He stated there are no incentives that lookout for the taxpayers; and inquired why the Board thinks input should come from the employees rather than the taxpayers. 

 

Arthur Christianson stated he heard Governor Scott say he has been reducing taxes and he is going to reduce more because more taxes destroy jobs because it does not allow for competitiveness when taxes are levied, and Florida will not be able to compete with other states or companies.  He stated his residential tax was raised last year, this year it will probably will double, and the residential value has been going down; and he inquired if anyone can imagine what is going to happen when the values go up.  He commented on a problem with parking in his neighborhood, and stated he has voiced his concerns to the Commissioners, but has not received a response.

 

Commissioner Nelson advised the problem Mr. Christianson has is he lives near Stevenson Elementary; he has looked at the situation, and met with the Superintendent; and the engineering staff is observing the problem trying to come up with a solution.  He stated Stevenson Elementary became a school of choice, so everyone drives to that school, parking up and down all the streets; but there will be a solution.  Mr. Christianson stated there is a house-trailer sitting on County property and people are living in it; and it takes up space that could be used for parking.  Commissioner Nelson stated it is a security trailer and it is being inhabited.  He stated he will advise Mr. Christianson when traffic counts are completed.

 

Rick Cobb stated his proposed millage reflects a 16 percent increase for the County, six percent for the State, and 11 percent for the City of Rockledge; he believes that is ludicrous and insane; and the County needs to start listening to the people.  He commented on not being able to find a job, and stated he is opposed to a tax increase, as economic liberty is at stake.

 

Jim Durocher expressed his thanks to the Board for continuing to lower the cost of doing business in Brevard County; he has not gotten any benefit from SOH, as he lives and owns commercial property; and in some years he was getting 30 to 40 percent increases in his property taxes, and he understand where people are coming from, but those with SOH have had the benefit for all these other years.  He expressed his thanks to Sheriff Parker and others who were involved in changing the MSTU money in unincorporated areas and having Cape Canaveral provide police services for Cocoa Beach; the response time has been cut in half; and the officers that do come have empathy because they are coming to their own area.  He stated everyone will be here again next year doing this same thing again; and maybe between now and then the Commissioners could get together and talk about the scenario of the millage rate being too high when the economy turns around and property value goes up 10 percent.

 

Keith Rigler stated the Board should realize its citizens are hurting; he believes it will be a 3:2 vote again; the Board is not used to people asking it to cut; it is more used to people asking for things; and he has not seen in the Constitution where people are supposed to be responsible for the quality of life of other people.  He stated local government is supposed to take care of roads, utilities, police, and fire; there are a lot of other things in the budget that can be cut; and there needs to be something better presented at the next hearing and for next year.

Pat Pasley stated she has been asked by someone to tell Chairman Fisher that Titusville is hurting and that she cannot afford a millage increase.  She also mentioned two friends of hers who live in Melbourne Beach who cannot afford the millage increase, are looking for work, and cannot afford much; and stated she would like the Board to understand that there are a lot of people out there hurting.

Deborah Longman-Marien stated she works part-time and supports the budget; she would like to see more in the community than police, fire, school, and public safety; and she works with individuals with disabilities and does not want to have to tell them that the hours have been reduced for the services they need and enjoy.  She commented on taking out-of-town visitors to the Enchanted Forest and the Barrier Island Center.  She stated prospective businesses look at the amenities in a community before relocating; she understand people are hurting from the tough times, and she would like a full-time job, but it could be a downward spiral if there are too many cuts; and she would like to see the budget maintained, so the quality of life is not lost.

 

Motion by Commissioner Infantini, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to restore the millage rate back to rate of last year's millage rate.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated the Board has heard discussion about not harming public safety, yet Commissioner Infantini's motion cuts the Sheriff's budget; and he inquired if it is her intent to cut the Sheriff's budget.  He stated there is an MSTU for road deputies, and the current motion would reduce that millage, which would be a reduction of 36 deputies.  Commissioner Infantini responded Sheriff Parker informed her it was not actually 36 deputies; stated he told her the Florida Retirement System (FRS) saved about $1 million from MSTU, so it does not have to be funded quite as high anymore; and stated Mr. Tipton had asked Sheriff Parker to move deputies out of the General Funding billing over to the MSTU billing so the rate could be raised to the highest amount and it would not charge the General Fund as much. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she would be in favor of reducing the General Fund millage and increasing the MSTU for law enforcement and reducing the Mosquito Control millage by enough to leave libraries whole, as well as the law enforcement.  Commissioner Nelson stated by law the Board cannot raise any of the millages tonight; and inquired if the Board could hear from Sheriff Parker before proceeding. 

 

The Board recessed at 9:50 a.m. and reconvened at 10:01 a.m.

 

Sheriff Jack Parker stated the MSTU in the law enforcement is fully devoted to the deputies on patrol; if the rate is cut it will result in layoffs of deputies; and if it were brought back to the millage that is existing this fiscal year, it will result in 38 deputies being laid off.  He noted, his office currently has 67 deputies less than what the comprehensive plan calls for; and he would not like to see a single deputy laid off.  He explained as far as the concept of saving the General Fund money and transferring some of the deputies, that did happen; but it was not the County Manager's request to do that, it was his idea he proposed to the County Manager.  He went on to say the original budget request that came before the Commissioners had a rate in the MSTU that was slightly less than rollback, about $350,000 less; and he was able to save $650,000 out of the General Fund, but he knew how tight the General Fund was.  He added, his staff went over every single position, and if there was a legal justification to move some deputies into the MSTU who were really doing more unincorporated work, they would be moved to free up more General Fund dollars; and there were six deputies that he identified and were moved from the General Fund over to the MSTU.  He noted he did not keep the General Fund at the same funding, it was deflated by another $350,000; and that is what allowed him to give the Board $1 million less in General Fund requests next year than this year.  

 

Chairman Fisher inquired if overtime in the jail could be cut.  Sheriff Parker stated right now there is a system of 12-hour shifts at the jail, which creates some overtime usage; he has exactly the number of people needed to run the jail operation; and he does not have additional positions to fill in for people when they are off and on leave.  He explained the floating concept got expensive; public safety agencies that have to run a 24-hour schedule look at things a little bit different; and what he likes about the 12-hour shifts is that they are seamless; and there is no overlap.  He went on to say the 8-hour shifts would overlap because it is a 24-hour shift; it cost about the same amount of money, but he had some additional overlap that was used for training; and it is perhaps more money because the inmates would need additional supervision to make it happen.  He stated he is constantly is evaluating the overtime usage; years ago it was not uncommon to have one or two additional correctional officers to work in booking; but there is not that flexibility anymore; and there is a minimum staffing requirement and they are not allowed to use overtime unless they fall below the minimum.  He noted he just audited the overtime usage and is proud to say there was no anomaly; if the Commission was to slash the overtime budget he would have to fire correction deputies and shut down a tent; and if the Board cut the budget by $1 million he would cut have to shut down two tents, and the jail would be right back to the very bad overcrowding situation everyone has worked so hard to get out of.

 

Commissioner Nelson asked if 17,000 is the maximum number of inmates.  Sheriff Parker responded 17,020 is the maximum and it is 17,040 right now; and the judges try to do their very best to get the population managed.  Commissioner Nelson pointed out in 2000 the Sheriff's budget was $51 million, and now it is at $105 million; that is not a criticism, as Brevard County grew by about 37 percent between 1990 and today; and Sheriff Parker has not asked for more money, but the Board made him take some one year because it opened up the new jail pod.  Sheriff Parker talked about when the County was paying the deputies $23,000 a year and were the lowest paid deputies in the State; the jail was rated for less than 1,000 people when it had 2,000 inmates; and every other agency was having challenges as well.  He added, Brevard County did not fund the things that had to be funded, and the jail is a perfect example of that, and as a result it was having major difficulties; but it was not like the Board did not try.  He went on to say as a result, instead of spending $150 million as the consultant recommended on jail construction, he spent less than $20 million; and if he had not done that the Board would be looking at another $7 to $8 million in debt service payment on top of what it is dealing with right now.  

 

Commissioner Infantini stated Sheriff Parker's original budget did not have the full rollback millage rate, and as a matter of fact, it was significantly less than the full rollback millage rate; and after submitted, the County Manager asked if there were law enforcement officers that could be transferred and the Board be charged by the MSTU; and he did that and then brought it up to the full rollback rate.  She added, she asked Sheriff Parker to please take the lead and put the millage where it needed to be, and he said he would do that if only he could get the extra funds needed for the deputies out of the General Fund; and he agreed because there are raises that are included with the FRS savings.  Sheriff Parker responded he does not remember saying it was the County Manager's idea, it was the Sheriff's Office's idea; it was a good idea that saved the taxpayers and the General Fund an additional $350,000; if one looks at the original budget submitted it is not a drastic reduction over the rollback rate; and it is a minor reduction of around $350,000.   He added, he looks at what every deputy is doing and if it is appropriate that they work in the MSTU or in the General Fund, and then moves them accordingly; and in this case it happened to work out for the General Fund's best interest and he was able to give back even more money. 

 

Commissioner Infantini noted that is not in the MSTU's best interest, which is not being solely served by the deputies; they have been miss categorized in prior years; and it should have been uncovered in one of the audits.  Sheriff Parker stated every year when it moves deputies around, they are moved to where they are needed; and sometimes the Board will see 198 deputies in the MSTU, and other times it will see 290; and it is what he thinks is appropriate at the time.  He added, he did say if the Board moves the MSTU down, if it does not want to lose deputies, it is going to have to inflate the General Fund to cover those, and he will have to move them back to a General Fund purpose deputy sheriff; but the Board cannot just make a motion that it is going to reduce the law enforcement MSTU and hope everything works out; and he is going to be firing deputies if that happens. 

Commissioner Infantini clarified she did not say reduce it, she said do not increase it the full rollback.  Sheriff Parker stated that is reducing what he is giving the Board right now; the budget he presented is an MSTU at rollback; and if the Board decides to reduce it he will layoff deputies, unless it supplemented by the with General Fund.  Commissioner Infantini suggested he could move deputies back into the General Fund.  Sheriff Parker explained a million dollars in savings in the General Fund went back to the Board.  Commissioner Infantini pointed out it was a million dollar increase; he added $5 million to the budget about nine months in the budget; and he added a million dollar revenue from the Port Authority and Cape Canaveral, and he is added a $5 million expenditure.  She explained he came back with a budget that is not less than $5 million when some of it drops and he is going to call it a decrease, when it fact it is not $5 million or $2.5 million less.  Sheriff Parker stated when he talks about amendments to the budget for contracted law enforcement services, it has nothing to do with what the Board funds for General Fund law enforcement and MSTU; and when he brings that to the Board late in the game, it is because the cities it provides services for, which quite frankly is has to flow through the Board.  Commissioner Infantini stated it does not flow through the Board it comes directly to the Sheriff and does not pass through the County, and that is why he had it removed from the Board's budget in 2008, and it is in the minutes.  Sherriff Parker stated in all reality, it is a separate argument, what he gets as far as money for a contracted law enforcement services is completely separate from the MSTU and General Fund; the MSTU funds all of the patrol Deputy Sheriff's right now; and if the MSTU is reduced and not supplemented with General Fund that was given back to the Board, he will loss Deputy Sheriff's.  Commissioner Infantini stated Sheriff Parker did not give back $1 million, he is charging more.  Sheriff Parker reiterated that he gave back $1 million; his General Fund request for next year is $1 million less than it is right now.  Commissioner Infantini advised the budget is higher.  Sheriff Parker advised his budget is lower, from $109 million down to $105 million; $3 million is the contracted fees from Port Canaveral, but  $1 million of that is General Fund savings that went back to the Board.  Commissioner Infantini stated they are going to have to agree to disagree; and that was done at Sheriff Parker's office, as well, they both agreed to disagree.  Sheriff Parker stated the facts are the facts, if a lesser MSTU rate is given, Deputy Sheriff's will be fired unless it is supplemented with General Fund revenue.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated a comment was made that crime is down and Deputies can be reduced; and he inquired how the Sheriff would respond.  Sheriff Parker replied he wishes he could say crime was down; it depends on the particular crimes being looked at; and there are certain crimes that are up.  Commissioner Nelson inquired how many officer involved shootings has there been in the last two years.  Sheriff Parker responded approximately 12 or 13; the reality is, Deputy Sheriff's are very understaffed right now, and being based on a regional patrol zones that are much bigger than municipal zones; and if less Deputies are working, the zones become bigger, which makes the response time longer, and because it is a County service, there is no ability to just say reduce Deputies then he has to make the zones bigger and perhaps he may not even be able to put a Deputy in a zone who responds to emergencies only; and that is not acceptable to him.  He stated he would love to agree that crime is down, in certain circumstances it is, but unfortunately, the first six months of this year, violent crime is up; a lot of the crime that takes attention is up, such as identity thefts, fraud, thefts, and child pornography is off-the-rails; and if he has the Deputy Sheriff's he needs, he would have a 10-Deputy Child Pornography Unit, which right now only has two Deputies working it.  He added he does the best he can with what he has.  Commissioner Nelson expressed his thanks to Sheriff Parker being available for questions, the improvements in Cape Canaveral with Deputy response times improving tremendously, and the improvements in their demeanor of getting to know the community and not just looking for things.  Sheriff Parker expressed appreciation to Commissioner Nelson; stated the Brevard County Sheriff's Office tries to be partners; this process is nothing new to him; it seems much longer than four years ago; and the problems were the jail having such a hole where every bit of money and political support from the citizens went right into making the jail safe.  He stated he has added no one to the Patrol Investigative Units other than the people who were found in-house and relocated them there; and when the jail was being built, tents two and three were staffed with 20 Correction Officers who were his own resources; he has always tried to do everything he can to ask for as little as possible; but from a Sheriff's perspective, it is frustrating because additional Deputies have not been added.  He stated Viera, West Melbourne, and many other areas have exploded in growth; his office is down; he has done a lot to save money; all of the sudden the Sheriff's Office seems to be the flavor-of-the-day, as far as just cutting that budget; and he does not think that is fair or safe for the citizens.

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired if $1 million is set aside in forfeiture funds.  Sheriff Parker responded yes, it is about $900,000.  Commissioner Infantini stated while checking into some of the rules, it came to her attention about the forfeiture funds.

        

Commissioner Nelson pointed out Commissioner Infantini wants Mosquito Control to live off of its Reserves; there were a lot of mosquito's this year without any virus; extra time is being put in to kill the mosquito's this year; if there is a virus associated with the mosquito's, then they are going literally 24 hours a day until it is under control; and those Reserves can be blown-through in a hearts beat.  Commissioner Infantini stated the Reserves equate to almost a full year’s budget; and the Reserves are about $4.3 million, of which $500,000 being earmarked for the virus.  Commissioner Nelson went on to say part of the Reserves are used for the hiring of additional helicopters; and Commissioner Infantini may find it okay to cut Mosquito Control, but philosophically, putting the community at risk is something that he is not going to support.

 

Commissioner Infantini advised the budget for Mosquito Control is just a little more than $5 million; there is about $4 million in Reserves, and of the $5 million budget, there is about $500,000 that is earmarked for contracted services in the event there would be an outbreak of the West Nile Virus; fortunately it did not have to be tapped into; and next year's budget is set to be the same.  She added there are plenty of funds in Reserves to not collect the same revenue collected this year and still be able to fight off the mosquito's, unless the Director tells all of the Revenues and the additional $4 million will be gone through; and there is $1 million for contingencies, and $500,000 for the contracted services based on her discussion with the Director.

 

Mr. Whitten stressed he is not going to be able to calculate unless Commission Infantini tells him a specific millage rate or an reduced tax revenue amount, so he can go back into a specific millage rate.  Commissioner Infantini stated she thinks Sheriff Parker said $350,000, and maybe another $200,000 could be saved by using the School Resource Offices being paid out of the forfeiture fund, for this year.  Mr. Whitten stated if that is the issue with regards to Law Enforcement MSTU, then the motion would be to reduce the tax revenue by $350,000.  Commissioner Infantini stated correct.  Mr. Whitten stated for Mosquito Control, the motion would be to reduce the tax revenue by what amount.  Commissioner Infantini stated whatever amount it needs to be to make it so the millage rate is aggregate and it does not increase; the Mosquito Control millage rate is assessed countywide; and the Law Enforcement MSTU is only assessed in unincorporated areas, as well as a few municipalities like Malabar and areas like that.

 

Craig Simmons, Mosquito Control Director, stated the biggest thing he wants everyone to understand is Mosquito Control gets approximately $5.4 million in tax revenues, that pays for salaries, chemical fuel, and insurance; everything else in the budget comes from balance forward; when the budget is received at the beginning of every year, there is at least $1.2 million that has to be kept in Reserves in case there is some type of virus activity; on a monthly basis things that cannot be spent are highlighted so taxes do not have to be increased the following year; and heavy virus activity costs $2 million in a course of two weeks.  He stated his biggest concern is to make sure the Board understands Mosquito Control is not prepared for the worst-case scenario, it is prepared for the not-so-bad scenario; he thinks he has presented a budget that allows him to deal with some of the issues had with infrastructure; and it is the Board's decision, but he does not recommend doing so.    

 

Commissioner Nelson stated he has an issue related to the Fire MSTU rolling back; he recalls the budget in rolling back Fire MSTU it is closing a fire station.  Mr. Whitten revealed Fire MSTU is approximately $1.3 million.  Commissioner Nelson inquired if Commissioner Infantini is proposing to close a fire station.  Commissioner Infantini responded no, she thinks she will find the cuts somewhere else like not buying another ladder truck or buy the bariatric beds; and she has discouraged the spending on it in the past.  Commissioner Nelson stated the bariatric beds are because there have been significant back injuries.  Commissioner Infantini stated in the past, firefighters for the last 100 years, did not have the new beds, and sometimes they had back injuries and she is not wishing back injuries on anybody; but she thinks with having three people, per truck, who carry out the beds in most situations that is going to work; but if someone happens to have a situation where a patient is overweight can be something that is asked, unless it is a car accident, it has worked for a number of years and she thinks buying the newest and best gadgets all the time is not an option and she wonders how people survived 10 years ago without all this cool stuff.  She stressed she thinks there are ways to cut.

 

Mr. Whitten stated the Fire Chief Larry Collins is being located so he can explain why the automatic stretchers are purchased and why that purchase needs to be made. 

 

Chief Collins stated the stretchers were a Risk Management option for Fire Rescue; the stretchers are automatic and do the lifting for the employees; there have been several severe back injuries as a result of having to pick stretchers up, and the twisting of the back resulted in injuries; and since the stretcher investment thus far, there has not been a serious back injury and it was a good Risk Management investment because of the cost of Workers Compensation.  Commissioner Infantini inquired if the trucks can go down to two men per truck instead of three since there is no heavy lifting.  Chief Collins responded no, two men are used on the rescues right now; the national recommendation for fire apparatus is a minimum of four people; and the engines use three people now and do not even meet the national standards of four people staffing on a rig.  He stated he understands the dollars are tight; he continues to work with three people on the rigs; there is a  State Law and federal standards about when fire attacks what can be done with a certain amount of people that must be on the scene; if the rescue unit is not available and an engine arrives at a working structure fire, they may not enter that structure to extinguish the fire if it is beyond hazard of life environment; there is a wait until another unit gets there, which at times can be five, seven, or eight minutes away; and if there are four people, the attack can be amnestied and work on the fire from the interior of the structure.  He stated if there is a rescue involved it is out the window; it will risk a lot to save a lot, but there will not be a lot at risk to save property or lives that are beyond savable; whatever this Board decides can be done; and his recommendation is not to reduce the staffing on the rigs.  Commissioner Nelson stated he thinks it was a separate issue that it was voted on by the citizens as well, and he has a little bit of an issue with that.  Chief Collins stated the third paramedic on the engine is to be funded by MSTU dollars, so that could be counter to what the referendum was designed to do, and what it was supposed to fund in that regard.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated expanding the radius of a fire stations service area was mentioned; she inquired if there is a further cut back, can Chief Collins tell if this is something that has to be looked at, to close fire stations, which ones, and which are the least active.  Chief Collins responded the least active stations are 65 in Melbourne Beach at 396 responses, 87 at Valkaria Road at 472 responses, and 64 at Melbourne Beach at 579 responses.

 

Commissioner Infantini stated if any of the Melbourne Beach stations are cut, there is a 12 miles differential between the two; all of the stations referenced had a level of service done, regardless of the amount of calls received, and if a circle was put around each fire station, as she did, it would be found that they have the furthest distance from any level of service; and even though they are not busy, that one call is very important.  She went on to say there are others that are only five miles apart from one station; one of the Melbourne Beach stations is about 12 miles away from the next closest station; and she inquired when dealing with service is the number of calls dealt with or is it the level of service.  Chief Collins responded he would love to have the dollars to put another ladder truck in the Melbourne Beach area.  Commissioner Infantini stated an ambulance is needed not a ladder truck.  Chief Collins stated what happens with fire apparatus is it provides the first responder EMS service, which is part of the MSTU, so they are really not separate in that regard, and they complement each other; the density of population served and the demand in those areas drives the staffing and where those rigs are; response times are critical factors, those are looked at, and the more stations shut down leads to a longer response time; and there are national standards in how soon an apparatus ought to arrive.  He explained what happens is even if it is not the busiest fire station, there should be consolidation of existing stations into better locations together to serve a broader area, even if it takes an extra 30-seconds to get there; and they will be able to meet the standards of getting right to work and not have to await the arrival of others.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated having the tools to do the trade efficiently is extremely important.  Chief Collins reiterated this is public safety and it has to do with the correct number, the type of apparatus', the correct number of people arriving at the scene at the right time to deal with the emergency;  it is not known what all is going to be involved; and there has to preparedness for all.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated in the past, the Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating of South Cocoa Beach has been discussed because it is a horrible one; there are not any apparatus' nearby; and he knows Chief Collins is working to try to figure how to do a better job; but if service levels are reduced in certain areas, then the potential is the ISO rating then becomes part of insurance paid on a home going up.  Chief Collins stated the biggest impact is to the business community and multi-family residences which will take a significant hits; condominiums are part of the commercial structures, with manufacturing's and those rates are a little more in step than the average residential; and those area are in the County are being looked at to find ways to work with the neighbors to keep the costs down and to balance the ISO rating if possible.

 

Mr. Tipton stated over the last several months Chief Collins, Mr. Whitten, and he have been working to continue to build those relationships with its city partners in an attempt to co-locate apparatus, and co-staff the apparatus to look at station consolidation; there are a number of discussions going on; and he credits Chief Collins for helping to drive a lot of those discussions.  He stated if reducing fire millage is done, he does not expect Chief Collins to be able to say he is going to close station "X" today; it would be something that would be brought back to the Board.  He added, it is not just the least busiest station or the busiest station, there are a number of different factors involved.  He stated Brevard County is a force within the city fire communities, it is a force-for-good, doing a lot of good things, and having conversations needing to take place.

 

Chairman Fisher stated since he has been a Commissioner, it has been a cut type of situation, not a boom type of situation; when the amount of personnel in general government cuts are looked at; and at some point in time, the public is going to have to make a decision of how safe is safe, with three or four men on a fire truck or one or two jail tents with a certain number of inmates appointed to an officers.  He went on to say what he has seen is the public always comes out and says public safety is not touchable; but in moving forward with the budget process, the public has made itself clear that services are important; there are costs involved and it has made for a very difficult situation with property values declining.  He stated public safety has to be funded to support it at the level people are coming and telling that they are in support of it; and he has not seen any picketing about firing deputies or firefighters.

 

Chief Collins stated there are needs in the fire departments; four person staffing is liked with more stations; the men and women of the Brevard County Fire Rescue Department understands where the County stands financially; they are out there day-in and day-out providing the very best level of service possible; and he commends them daily for the roll he or she play in the community.

 

Commissioner Nelson advised understanding the County's service levels are not where it is recommended by either organization and to then tell part of the community that there is going to be a change to service received now and it will be reduced down, it is troubling; and he does not think everybody feels too safe; he thinks they are okay where it is now; but closing down station 65, and running them out of station 66, is changing the impact of a neighborhood.  He stated there was a circumstance in West Cocoa where a station was closer to an area serviced by Cocoa; there was a death; the County could have been there in about two and one-half minutes compared to seven for the City of Cocoa to arrive; and that is the kind of things being faced, life or death.  He stated he does not know if he is ready to say to his neighbors, he is really sorry the ambulance could not get there as quick.  Chairman Fisher advised he agrees, but the citizens have to understand they have to pay for that service.  Commissioner Nelson stressed for the most part, he thinks the citizens do.  Chief Collins assured the Board he looks hard for efficiencies in his operation, if share-costs can be found, and who really does win are the citizens; and it is the citizens who the County is trying to protect here.  He added, Engine 47 in Viera is the busiest responding to 2,782 runs a year.  Commissioner Nelson mentioned when there is an emergency in North Brevard, units have to be relocated to provide protection because when another unit is needed in the North Brevard area the stations start rolling to reposition themselves to try to cover; and he worries about the added response times being added into the equation.  Chief Collins added, resources are shifted to wherever needed.  Commissioner Nelson stated in the proposed cuts received from Commissioner Infantini, it is suggested to cut $2 million from Fire Rescue's overtime.  Chief Collins replied $2 million is essentially closing a station; he does not know where he can get $2 million, unless he cuts out all of the capital that it takes to run the Fire Department.

 

Commissioner Infantini advised there were millions leftover in that overtime budget.  Chief Collins stated millions leftover in the overtime budget is balance forward that goes to the next year; it is what funds the assessment, which has not been renewed, so the Reserves are worked off of, according to the plan, to draw that down; and the plan is simply being followed that was approved by the Board.  Commissioner Infantini stated last year a significant amount was budgeted; she does not have the numbers with her; she was willing to discuss all of this at the last budget meeting, but thinks it is nice to talk about it today; and there were millions leftover that were over budgeted for firefighter overtime.  She stated it was about a $4 million budget and this year she suggested $2 million less than the $4 million.  Chief Collins stated he does not have those figures before him either; but that money rolls forward to the next year and is used there, as part of that budget year because they are working off of Reserves.  Commissioner Infantini stated the overtime budget was $5 million, and to cut it out of the budget; it will be that much less needed; she is not questioning where the money came from; and she had previously stated reduce the budget, so it is less spending that has to be done.  Chief Collins stated by reducing the overtime line, it shows up in the balance forward line.  Commissioner Infantini stated that is fine; she is not talking about that; and she is referencing the cost budget.  Commissioner Nelson stated there is another part to it; the Board did not deal with the assessment this year, there was some discussion about possibly revising or changing the assessment because there is a point in time where those dollars will be used up, and it would be a double-whammy.  Chief Collins advised what Fire Rescue has agreed to do is work off the Reserves it has to extend out the years available; if he did not use all of the overtime budget, it is a real good thing; and it buys more time.  Commissioner Nelson stated it has bought an extra year because the original plan was that this year there would be an increase.  Chief Collins went on to say it means smart things are being done in terms of staffing and cutting out discretionary overtime; in part, the federal government requires part of that overtime be paid for Fair Labor Stand Act (FLSA).  Commissioner Nelson added it is in the unincorporated areas and not all of Brevard, so it a person is in a city, it is a different issue.  Chief Collins stated that is correct.

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he knows partnerships with municipalities are being worked on extremely hard; elected officials need to get smarter with public-annex-type-deals where city fire departments and the County are co-located; in Palm Bay there are separate stations on Minton Road, right down the road there is another station, and down the road from the that there is another station; and it makes no sense from a taxpayers point.  He stated he knows Chief Collins is working on it, and he hopes the cities are cooperating.  He mentioned in the future, planning for building facilities co-locating with municipalities has to be looked at.  Chief Collins assured Commissioner Anderson he is having that dialogue with the community.  Commissioner Anderson inquired if he is receiving positive responses back.  Chief Collins replied he is and if he can find ways to be efficient, that is what he is going to do.  Commissioner Anderson went on to say the municipalities have to, too because just by looking at Palm Bay, it is in a serious situation right now, and who knows what is going to happen there.  Chief Collins stated he is open to partnerships at every level.      

 

Mr. Tipton confirmed what Chief Collins told the Board; stated the citizens do not care what emblem is on the door of the truck, whether it is city of County; it is who gets there the fastest; it is not only the co-location of the equipment, but it is the co-purchasing of the equipment, and the co-staffing of it; and the Automatic Aid Agreement of whose the closest to handle it answers first.

 

Commissioner Infatini stated her motion is to leave the aggregate millage rate the same as it was in 2010/2011, reduce the General Fund millage rate, Mosquito Control millage rate using the Reserves, put the Library millage rate at the rollback, and Law Enforcement millage rate at just shy of the rollback, reducing it by the $350,000.

 

Commissioner Anderson advised he will second the motion; he thinks it should be a motion for the next meeting; but would like to go ahead and get through it, to move forward.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated by seconding the motion, Commissioner Anderson agrees with the tax decrease.  Commissioner Anderson replied no, he wants to keep the Law Enforcement MSTU where it is, look at the aggregate, like in 2009 with the libraries, and reduce General Fund, so at the end of the day the aggregate is low; but not those important services, such as fire, police, and roads that are functioning properly, which is the intent of what local government is.  He stated it is not to make sure everybody has a job, park, or lifeguard; and he is telling the Board that this is the future of government and it needs to start today.

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she will gladly put the Sheriff's millage at the full rate that way he has what he needs, and all the other ones will come down correspondingly.  Commissioner Anderson expressed thanks to Commissioner Infantini for amending the motion; stated he supports the full rate for the Sheriff; and added nobody can ever accuse him of not supporting law enforcement, as he is the only one on this Board who has a law enforcement background.

Motion by Commissioner Infantini, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to leave the aggregate millage rate the same as it was in FY 2010-2011, reduce the General Fund millage rate, for Mosquito Control millage by using Reserves, and put the Library millage rate at the rollback rate.

 

MOVER:            Trudie Infantini, Commissioner District 3

SECONDER:     Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

AYES:                Trudie Infantini, Andy Anderson

NAYS:                Robin Fisher, Chuck Nelson, Mary Bolin

 

 

Chairman Fisher stated it is interesting to him that there is 325,000 parcels of property that gets taxed in Brevard County; there were people walking neighborhoods, going into churches, and people purposely trying to say that this Board needed to not support this budget; at the end of the day, there were 38 people out of the 325,000 parcels that spoke against this budget, but said do not touch law enforcement and safety where a lot of the increase is coming from; and there are 65 percent of people seeing a decrease, 81 percent of the commercial properties will be seeing a decrease, two percent of other properties have improvements so those did not have an increase or decrease, and only 56 percent are paying less than $36.00 a year; there is still the ability to provide services and funding; and it is clearly overwhelming to him that the public does not care as much as the 38 people that spoke.

 

Commissioner Infantini stated Chairman Fisher's comment made is completely inaccurate; people signed a petition and sent emails saying do not raise taxes; people do so in an effort to not have to attend the meeting; not everybody can get here, just like Ms. Conkling stated, because they are struggling or have to stay home with his or her family; she feels it is expected of the Board to listen to them; and she feels like the Board sincerely did not listen.  Chairman Fisher stated he thinks he could send out petitions asking if people want deputies laid off, closing of parks, or libraries.  Commissioner Infantini advised to give another alternative than the scare tactics.  Chairman Fisher stated he thinks the people who signed the petition signed it because it was a scare tactic.   

 

MOVER:            Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

SECONDER:     Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

AYES:                Robin Fisher, Chuck Nelson, Mary Bolin

NAYS:                Trudie Infantini, Andy Anderson

 

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for the public hearing of the announcement of the recomputed tentative aggregate millage and percentage of deviation from the aggregate rolled back rate. 

 

Alphonso Jefferson, Budget Director, stated the aggregate rollback rate for the 2011-2012 budget is 7.3391 mills; the approved aggregate tentative rate for the 2012 budget is 7.2394 mills; and the approved aggregate tentative rate is 1.36 percent less than the aggregate rollback rate.

 

There being no comments or discussion, the Board acknowledged announcement of the recomputed FY 2011-2012 aggregate rolled back rate of 7.3391 mills, the aggregate tentative rate at 7.2394 mills, and the percentage change of 1.36 percent, including voted millages.

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for the public hearing to consider a resolution certifying, ratifying, and confirming the Annual Stormwater Utility Special Assessment.

 

There being no comments or discussion, the Board adopted Resolution No. 11-200, ratifying, confirming, and certifying Rate and Annual Stormwater Utility Special Assessment Rolls for Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2011.

 

MOVER:            Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

SECONDER:     Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for a public hearing to consider adoption of a resolution certifying Municipal Service Benefit Unit Assessment Rolls to Tax Collector.

 

There being no comments or discussion, the Board adopted Resolution No. 11-201, adopting, ratifying, and certifying the Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) Assessment Rolls for Fiscal Year 2011-2012.

 

MOVER:            Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

SECONDER:     Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for a public hearing to consider resolutions adopting Schedule of Rates, Assessments, and Charges for Fire Service Operations, Hazardous Materials Special Operations Team, Fire Prevention and Inspection Fees; and Ratification, Confirmation and Certification of the Annual Fire Services Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll.

 

Commissioner Nelson inquired if those rates have been the same for four or five years.  Assistant County Manager Whitten advised it would be no more than four years of the rates.

 

There being no further comments or discussion, the Board adopted Resolution No. 11-202, for the Annual Fire Services Special Assessment Rate, the Fire Prevention and Inspection Special Rates, and the Hazardous Materials Special Operations Team Schedule of Rates for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2011; and adopted Resolution No. 11-203, Ratifying, Confirming, and Certifying the Annual Fire Services Non-Ad Valorem Special Assessment Roll for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012, and forwarding same to the Tax Collector's Office for collection in the same manner as ad valorem taxes are collected.

 

MOVER:            Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

SECONDER:     Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for a public hearing to consider adopting a resolution establishing user fees for FY 2011-2012 for the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District.

 

Commissioner Anderson stated this is not an increase.  Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten advised the user fee rates have stayed the same for the past four or five years.

 

Commissioner Nelson inquired if it generated more money.  Al Pennell, Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District, responded no.

 

There being no further comments or discussion, the Board adopted Resolution No. 11-204, establishing user fees for the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District at Residential $19.13 per lot or acre; Agriculture $6.69 per lot or acre; and Commercial $37.14 per lot or acre, for Fiscal Year 2011-2012.

 

MOVER:            Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

SECONDER:     Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for a public hearing to consider adoption of final budgets for FY 2011-2012 for Solid Waste Management; Stormwater Utility; Fire Rescue Operations Assessment; Municipal Service Benefit Units; and Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District.

 

There being no comments or discussion, the Board adopted final budgets for the District and Programs as follows:  Solid Waste Management at $106,850,815; Stormwater utility at $11,751,867; Fire Rescue Operations Assessment at $26,874,397; and Municipal Service Benefit Units at $112,988; and adopted Resolution No. 11-205, adopting final budget for Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District at $2,416,645.

 

MOVER:            Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

SECONDER:     Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

Chairman Fisher called for a public hearing to consider tentative approval of a resolution adopting the County's budget for FY 2011-2012.

 

Alphonso Jefferson, Budget Director, advised the revised approved tentative budget for FY 2011-2012 is $934,325,814; and the revised approved tentative budget represents a decrease of 8.24 percent or $83,913,174 from the FY 2011 adopted budget of $1,018,238,988.

 

There being no further comments or discussion, the Board granted tentative approval of Resolution adopting the County's total budget for FY 2011-2012, which includes $741,263,072 for County agencies; $126,110,937 for Charter Officers; and $66,951,805 for Dependent Special Districts.

 

MOVER:            Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

SECONDER:     Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

AYES:                Robin Fisher, Chuck Nelson, Mary Bolin

NAYS:                Trudie Infantini, Andy Anderson

 

 

Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten stated staff is requesting the Board adopt a resolution approving the FY 2011-2012 Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer District budget.

 

The Board, acting as the Governing Body of the Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer District, adopted Resolution No. 11-001, adopting the Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer District Budget.

 

MOVER:            Trudie Infantini, Commissioner District 3

SECONDER:     Andy Anderson, Vice Chairman / Commissioner District 5

AYES:                Fisher, Nelson, Infantini, Bolin, Anderson

 

 

The Board executed the State of Florida, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Mosquito Control District's Annual Certified Budget for Arthropod Control (DACS Form 13617, Rev. 9/03) for Fiscal Year October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012.

 

 

MOVER:            Chuck Nelson, Commissioner District 2

SECONDER:     Mary Bolin, Commissioner District 4

AYES:                Robin Fisher, Chuck Nelson, Mary Bolin

NAYS:                Trudie Infantini, Andy Anderson

 

 

Upon Board consensus, the meeting adjourned at 11:16 p.m.

 

 

 

ATTEST:                                                         ___________________________________

                                                                        ROBIN L. FISHER, CHAIRMAN

                                                                        BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

_________________________             BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

MITCH NEEDELMAN, CLERK