County Commissioner John Tobia failed in his effort to get fellow commissioners to approve two resolutions he says were designed to prevent property tax increases in the 2019-20 county budget.
Also during Thursday’s county budget workshop, County Commission Chair Kristine Isnardi accused Tobia of playing political games with his actions.
“It’s politics, and I get the game you’re playing, but I’m not participating,” Isnardi told Tobia. Isnardi said she wants the “grandstanding” to stop.
Isnardi’s comments were among the most pointed she has directed at a fellow commissioner during a meeting in her 2½ years on the board.
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Some commissioners implied that they felt Tobia was trying to get them on record — for political purposes — as voting against a resolution opposing a tax increase.
After the meeting, Tobia said he felt the taxpayers were the real losers as a result of the County Commission’s actions at Thursday’s workshop in opposing his resolutions.
One of the goals of the workshop was for county commissioners to give County Manager Frank Abbate direction in how they want him to prepare a proposed county budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, working in conjunction with Budget Director Jill Hayes and other county department heads.
The county manager typically releases a budget plan in July. It is the subject of two budget hearings in September before the County Commission approves a budget.
The first of Tobia’s two resolutions would have declared the County Commission as opposed to adopting a 2019-20 budget that would require a tax increase, as defined by Florida Statute.
That resolution failed 3-2, with Isnardi and Commissioners Rita Pritchett and Curt Smith voting no. County Commission Vice Chair Bryan Lober joined Tobia in voting yes on the resolution.
“I was not aware that there would be this much controversy about raising taxes amongst five Republicans,” Tobia said.
Regardless of the vote, Abbate indicated later in the meeting that he intends to deliver a budget plan that does not include a tax increase.
Tobia’s second resolution would have indicated that the County Commission opposes declaring a “finding of critical need” that would require increased tax revenue. The only exception would be if there was “a state or federally declared emergency” — to rebuild from a hurricane or tornado, for example.
That resolution failed when Tobia did not get another commissioner to second his motion, so no official vote took place.
Under a provision of the county charter that voters approved in a 2008 referendum, the County Commission cannot raise the property tax rate to a level that would cause budgeted revenue to increase by the lesser of 3 percent or increase in the Consumer Price Index, unless such a critical or emergency need is declared. Tobia describes that as busting the charter cap.
Commissioners indicated…
