PSL potential 15% property tax hike (St. Lucie: condo, house, purchase)

[1insider]

Originally Posted by newred5

the tax rate increase will be on the city of PSL taxes not your entire tax bill. Never like a tax increase but its not a huge on by any means

Media sensationalism! They did the same thing last week in Cocoa Beach reporting a proposed 20% increase when in fact the increase on the entire tax bill would have amounted to one tenth of 1%. Pitchforks were circling City Hall over the media's math massage. Everyone hates taxes but this is blatant misreporting designed to incite the taxpayers.

[12349876]

Originally Posted by nradd

On top of this potential hike, the St Lucie County BOCC met today and voted 3-2 to increase millage rates for the county as a whole as well. Looks like PSL will get it from both ends.

How much is the county millage rate hike? I tried searching the news, but TCPalm makes you pay to read their story, which is disgusting since stories about local government should be provided free as a public service. Their teaser headline says something about an extra $45 per year, plus they want to jack up the sales tax yet again. Tried checking the BOCC website and at their latest meeting they merely referred to "Worksheet Analysis of Roll Back Millage Rate for fiscal year 2015-2016". So, they want to approve that, but didn't state what the details were at this public meeting. Why should tax payers get this run around? Come out and give us the details every single time. Tell us how the County's taxable value has increased by double digits, yet you still feel the need to hit us with an even higher millage rate. Explain how you are doing this just as real estate is starting to get some upward movement, and how your increasing taxes will help snuff it out. How the lower income residents are still hurting, yet an increase of millage rate simply gets passed on to them as higher rent. How greedy can these government bastids get?

[parrotgirl]

12349876, try the 2015-2016 budget book page on the county's website, then go to summaries and analysis for millage details: St Lucie County Florida Online || Office of Management and Budget - Budget Books

[aridon]

The crappy newspaper is desperate for clicks so they sensationalize the headlines. They know many Americans get their news from reading little more than headlines. Unfortunate but it is how it is.

[newred5]

County poised to raise sales tax

ST. LUCIE COUNTY - Higher property taxes next year and a possible increase in the sales tax in late 2016 could be helping pay for the Sheriff's Office's $73.4 million budget and ween the county off its rainy-day fund.

Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to tentatively raise the county property tax rate of $7.3910 per $1,000 of taxable property value to $7.731 to pay for next year's proposed $462.9 million budget.

The increase would generate about $4 million a year for the county. It would cost property owners about $45 a year.

Sheriff Ken Mascara's budget is about $6.6 million more than this year's $66.6 million budget. Its single biggest item is $2.1 million to give 5 percent raises forall employees.

‟We're not the federal government. We can't raise the debt limit to cover our expenses,” said Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky, who along with Commissioners Kim Johnson and Paula Lewis supported raising the tax rate.

‟We can't print money either,” County Administrator Howard Tipton responded.

The commission also wants a 1 percent sales tax increase, from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent. It would earmark the additional revenue, $14.5 million, for road, drainage, new buildings and economic-development projects.

County officials are discussing asking voters to approve
The sales tax increase on the November 2016 ballot.

T he county would have received half of the additional revenue, with the three municipalities — Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village — splitting the remainder.

Increasing the sales tax would free up $2 million to $3 million in the general fund that would be used for other projects, county records show.

Next year’s county budget will be balanced by using $7.6 million from the reserves, which acts as the county’s savings account, to pay for expenses.

The reserve account has dropped from $112 million in 2010 to $69.5 million this year, county records show.

“We are fast approaching the point where we can’t continue,” Tipton said.

“Right now we need this funding to pay for our budget and to solve the deficit spending problem we have,” Johnson said.

Commissioners Tod Mowery, Frannie Hutchinson and Lewis said they don’t want to raise the property tax rate because residents in Port St. Lucie, the most populace city, are already likely to face an 18 percent tax rate increase next year.

“I don’t like it. I’m concerned about our community as a whole. I truly don’t see any way out, it but to raise the (property) tax,” Lewis said.

Commissioners still can lower the tax rate before it is finalized in September.

[sammylovesu]

big deal...

[nradd]

If the populace keeps allowing the govt to fleece them (punishment for the govts poor business decisions), then what is to stop them from continuing their behavior?

[aridon]

It's not like they invested in a golden statue in front of city Hall. While I didn't agree with their decisions it's hard to fault them for investing in bringing business here. It's a sound strategy they just picked the wrong businesses.

[12349876]

Thanks for posting the article.... No way I'll vote to approve that sales tax. I already tend to drive to Jensen Beach as that's where most of the shopping I patronize is. If that tax passes, it gives me even more reason to. It would be like earning 1.5% for driving a few miles difference. The bank doesn't even give that kind of return these days.... Odds are the tax does pass as they'll likely have a small fraction go towards poor kids and voters out of guilt will say yes without reflecting the real impact.

[nradd]

Originally Posted by aridon

It's not like they invested in a golden statue in front of city Hall. While I didn't agree with their decisions it's hard to fault them for investing in bringing business here. It's a sound strategy they just picked the wrong businesses.

Anyone know if they did their homework, or just fell for a sales pitch. A sound strategy would have involved background screens, forecasting, etc.

My real question is, where is the punishment? Worst that can happen is someone gets voted out. This is why this will not be the last bad decision by any group that has tax dollars behind them.