MARCO ISLAND — Rob Popoff called his first-ever special meeting as chairman to address the city budget. The primary action to be taken by council is to cut the budget at the meeting, which is scheduled 8:30 a.m., Friday, in the community room.
“We need to address the immediate conditions,” Popoff said. He added that after Monday’s council meeting, which was to be the final budget meeting, he realized that people really wanted to see cuts in city spending. “They want to see ‘are we spending frivolously or are we being conservative?’ ” he said.
Monday, Council needed to cut about $440,000 from the budget to balance a budget based on the new millage rate set that evening of 1.6518 mils, or $1.65 per $1,000 of property value. The plan for Friday is to decide where those cuts, and perhaps others, will come from. Popoff said he hopes the citizens will be sure to understand the importance of amending the city’s spending cap when it hits ballots, likely in January, so the relief he hopes to give taxpayers now won’t cause a burden on city operations and infrastructure in the future.
Marco Island Taxpayers' Association President Fay Biles said Thursday morning that "MITA members are unhappy with the latest millage rate. They want it to be lowered."
Popoff wasn't sure lowering the millage rate would be possible, but did say a discussion could come up. As Vice Chairman Frank Recker had said during Monday's meeting, for many people it's wasn't' the tax rate so much as it was people wanting to see Council be the best possible stewards of their money by looking closely at what they spent.
Even some MITA members Monday said it wasn't the rate, whether it caused them to pay $75 more or a couple hundred dollars more in taxes, so much as it appeared the city wasn't making the cuts that other individuals and organizations are having to make in the current economy.
Check back for live coverage of the meeting in the Marco budget blog.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 9
u2cane writes:
Why can it be acceptable for the county to receive lower tax revenue, but Marco needs to increase? Our tax estimate came in the mail yesterday and the only area of our tax bill that was increasing was the City of Marco's share? Why is that, can we not spend wisely compared to the County?
marcopasser writes:
Are you an Idiot-Not sure its possible to lower the Millage rate! CLOWNCIL listen up- Cut the blasted budget, every other city and town are doing so.
August8 writes:
Ok, yall hang onto yall's hat's now, this will get a little piece of everybody !!!
OldMarcoMan writes:
You got a Tax estimate. Not a Tax Bill. The Council is still working on your Tax bill.
Heck, if you really want to get ripped off move across the Marco River to Capri, those people are paying a LOT more than us for less service.
JohninMarco writes:
Hey oldman, read yesterdays Naples Editorial. We were ripped off by a city council who was told to end the Dumas case by their own attorney. 60,000 later we lose and both the city manager and the lawyers told those fools to stop.
happy6 writes:
it's beginning to be a little late to change the proposed tax bills...they better hurry up...and yes..marco's tax is the only tax that went up(proposed or otherwise)...lest not we forget out water went up as well......i cannot see where the city has cut anything..we're still building share use sidewalks....for what?
playballonK writes:
Shadow; funny you should mention the shared use sidewalks being built.. did you miss the portable digital billboard they had out there telling us that it is being paid by "Grant Funds".
They actually are advertising their ability to secure grants to get stuff done on Marco.
problem is shared sidewalks would be # 198 on Marco list of projects that could use grant $.
Votem OUT!
catey58 writes:
Votem OUT! Did anyone say "TEA PARTY?"
happy6 writes:
obama's paying for everything and not raising our taxes....take the blue pill....and padlock your "hover-round"...what about a PEA PARTY...i've written our congressmen/senator etc...and called them idiots...i get back a "thank you for you interest letter and your support"....they have no clue..just like the marco gov't.
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