Quick comparative look at next year’s county budget

Of fifteen taxing authority budget elements reviewed by Historic City News, only one agency is asking the St Johns County Commission for approval of a decrease in proposed ad valorem tax spending from 2014 to 2015.

The Anastasia Mosquito Control District proposed funding from ad valorem taxes for Fiscal Year 2015-2016 is $3,609,294; down 21% from last year’s $4,575,539. We applaud conservative management of costs by this essential public service agency.

As an award for your efforts, before the end of this month, Historic City News will treat any Anastasia Mosquito Control District employee, with their county employee identification card, to one free ice cream cone of their choice from One-Twenty-Three Burger House.

Among the fourteen agencies who propose to raise their claim on the taxpayer-funded honeypot, the Fire District tops the list with a proposed increase of 14% over last year’s $24,385,144 budget. They, too, are an essential public service agency; however, a $27,774,856 proposed budget could probably be tightened as we continue to recover from six years of economic disaster.

In total dollars to be spent, nobody tops the St Johns County School District. A large portion of their request, $109,641,853, is to fund the “Required Local Effort” paid toward the cost of the Florida Education Finance Program for grades K-12. This year’s increase, according the formula approved by the legislature, will be 7% over last year. Add to that another $49,492,949 in local ad valorem property taxes, which is an increase of 9% from 2014 to 2015.

Hastings says the can operate their small town for just over $200,000 next year; an increase over last year of 5%. Compare that to either of the other two incorporated cities within St Johns County who are each proposing an 8% increase. In dollars, the City of St Augustine want’s $9.5 million, compared to a 2014-2015 budget of $8,775,490. That’s a lot of Spanish bunting and coffee table books. Likewise, the City of St Augustine Beach is requesting an 8% increase to $2,378,817.

General operating, health and transportation costs paid from the county budget are proposed at $119,008,821 — an 8% increase over last year’s ad valorem budget of $110,358,026.

County Administrator Michael Wanchick kept $200,913.00 of that money, plus benefits, last year. He earns several times the average wage in St Johns County, and, thanks to ex-commissioners Mark Miner, Ken Bryan, and Ron Sanchez, he is protected by a severance payment equal to three-year’s salary with a two-year termination notice required; an amount so great that current Florida law prohibits local governments from offering such outrageous terms.

In conjunction with the annual budget process, members of the community are invited to attend two public hearings to provide feedback on the Fiscal Year 2016 St. Johns County Budget. The public hearings are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on September 8 and September 24 in the Board of County Commissioners Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View. For additional information, please view the budget workbook and budget calendar, or call the St. Johns County Office of Management and Budget at 904.209.0572.