FELLSMERE — Preliminary figures show the City of Fellsmere should expect a 1 percent decrease in property tax values from the Indian River County Property Appraiser’s Office.
“It’s unfortunate,” City Manager Jason Nunemaker told the Fellsmere City Council during a budget and visioning workshop last week. “But it’s not as bad as in the past.”
The Council typically adjusts the millage – property tax – rate to account for dips in property values to keep the revenue even. It usually does not mean a tax increase for property owners whose property values have declined – though they don’t see their tax bill decrease in line with the tax value.
Last year’s budget, approved in September 2013 and in effect until September 2014, was nearly $12.7 million.
Despite the decline in property values, Nunemaker suggested to the Fellsmere Council that they consider hiring another police officer and a part-time public works employee.
Nunemaker said he plans to pursue a COPS grant that could help fund a new hire within the Fellsmere Police Department. A new hire would help increase the depth of the department and beef up the department’s investigative capabilities.
Transporting arrestees to the county jail “puts a real strain on us,” Nunemaker said of the police department, explaining that processing can take two hours for someone being booked into the county jail or four hours for a juvenile going to the juvenile detention center.
As for Public Works, Nunemaker said a part-time hire would be able to assist in maintaining the new areas the City has developed and is in the process of developing for stormwater retention and treatment.
Mayor Susan Adams told Nunemaker that the City needs to also plan for replacing equipment.
“Some of those are held together with hopes and dreams,” Adams said of the City’s lawnmowers. She also pointed out that the City dump truck is older than she is.
Under the market conditions in 2013, which continue currently, the City of Fellsmere has racked up several achievements, according to Nunemaker.
Leveraging numerous grants and partnerships throughout the year, the City has developed the access roads needed for the Florida Organic Aquaculture facility and potential commercial/industrial park at the County Road 512 bend; it has made progress with the development of the Fellsmere Preserve near the east end of the City’s limits at Interstate 95 and CR 512; new leadership within the Fellsmere Police Department has been ushered in; and action has been taken to help preserve historically important structures throughout the city, to name a few.
“We’ve really been able to knock a lot out on this,” Nunemaker said of the historical preservation goals. The City has identified the railroad foreman’s home and recognized the need to relocate it to the Marian Fell Library campus, gotten started on renovations at the Marian Fell Library, and created a master plan for the library’s campus that could accommodate as many as seven historic buildings on the site.
Looking ahead to the upcoming fiscal year 2014-15, Nunemaker said the City’s administration would continue to focus on stoking economic development, pursue the implementation of developing the City Hall complex, and maximize grant funding.
He also plans to pursue annexation opportunities and resolving areas of blight through demolition.
As the preliminary budget stands now, Nunemaker is recommending a 3 percent cost of living adjustment for staff, making no changes to the deferred compensation plans, budgeting a 20 percent increase in health insurance premiums, and hiring a police officer through a COPS grant and a part-time public works employee.
The Fellsmere City Council will meet again during the summer to further discuss the budget and set the property tax rate.
