The Town of Miami Lakes is hosting two zero-based budget workshops for residents to learn about the city’s plans for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, as council members voted to keep the same rate for property taxes to complete several projects for beautification, while searching for additional resources to pay for other municipal services not funded in the spending plan.
The workshops are scheduled for Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day at Miami Lakes Town Hall, 6601 Main Street.
The workshops are prelude to the budget hearings in September, when council members will decide on a final tax rate and what projects should be funded next year.
The current rate is 2.3518 mills, which is $2.3518 per $1,000 of assessed property values, and estimated to generate about $6.2 million in revenue.
During the budget hearings, council members can only reduce the rate, which is an increase from $5.9 million last year.
Miami Lakes, which has $15.7 million in general fund revenues for next year, is focusing on beautification and plans to spend at least $822,000 on projects for the N.W. 154 Street corridor, N.W. 67 Avenue and 138 Street, N.W. 67 Avenue and 138 Street, the West Lake Neighborhood Reforestation Program and beautification for N.W. 87 Avenue and 170 Street.
According to a budget overview with preliminary figures, about $1.8 million of services were included in the spending plan but without any funding, including $500,000 for litigation services, $292,670 for two additional police officers, $85,000 for the removal and replacement of black trees and $35,000 for youth and senior citizens programs.
According to council members, some residents want the city’s services upgraded but not at their expense in the form of raising taxes.
Vice Mayor Tim Daubert said it would take a tax increase to give constituents what they want.
“They want their streets cleaned, their trees trimmed, no more street flooding and they want their black olive trees gone” said Daubert, who mulled raising taxes. “At Miami Lakes Optimist Park, the baseball fields, tennis courts and basketball courts need to be repaired. No one wants to raise taxes, but I told residents if you want those things done, this is what it will cost you.”
Miami Lakes would need $9.7 million to upgrade services for a new drainage system in residential areas, Miami Lakes Optimist Park, the black olive tree program and two additional police officers.
Town officials will scrutinize the budget to cut unnecessary expenditures, including city contracts, and spend the money where it is needed the most.
The budget hearings have been scheduled for Tuesday, September 6, at 5:01 p.m., and Tuesday, September 20, at 6 p.m. at Miami Lakes Town Hall, 6601 Main Street.
The next fiscal year begins on October 1.