Fiscal Year 20-21 Budget Workshop Tues., Jun 16 at 2 p.m.

FY 20-21 budget workshop
On Tues., June 16 at 2 p.m., the county administrator and Santa Rosa County Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will present an update on fiscal year 20-21 budget planning to the board of county commissioners in a budget workshop at the Administrative Complex, 6495 Caroline St. in Milton.An interactive agenda with backup supporting documentsis available online. The workshop will be archived at that same link following the meeting as well as streamed live online. The public is encouraged to attend virtually or in person, and to provide feedback.

"We are facing some challenges this year due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 which have reduced projected and estimated revenues. However, we are required by Florida statute to have a balanced budget every year so this revenue shortfall will not result in a deficit budget," said County Administrator Dan Schebler. "We are identifying cuts to submitted budget requests from county departments and constitutional officers to produce a balanced budget by July 15 without a change in the property tax millage rate."

Santa Rosa County has not increased the millage rate in more than 30 years and actually reduced it twice - once in 2001 and again in 2008. Per the Florida Tax Watch Santa Rosa County maintains one of the lowest costs of taxation per resident in the state. Additionally, the county has the second lowest revenue per capita in Florida.

The 12-page Budget in Brief gives the public an overview of the county's budget in an abbreviated format. The 281-page FY 19-20 adopted budget details funding for each department and line item. The adopted budget is effective from October 1 through September 30, 2021. OMB Director Jayne Nicholas said, "We work diligently to make this information readily available so that citizens can learn about the budget process and engage in the decisions that affect their county."

Florida statutes require a tentative balanced budget delivered to the board by July 15. In September, the board will hold two public hearings for public input. The first hearing is for the tentative budget and proposed millage rate in conjunction with the municipal service benefit unit (MSBU) hearing. The millage rate and budget for the new year are adopted at the second public hearing.

Budget schedule:

• Jul. 1 – Property appraiser certifies taxable value within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority
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• Jul. 10 – Administrator’s recommended budget submitted to the board
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• Jul. 14 – Budget workshop – tentative budget presented to board; county staff present in the morning; constitutional officers present in the afternoon (F.S. 129.03(3))
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• Aug. 4 – Notify property appraiser of prior year millage, current year proposed millage, current year rolled-back rate, and date, time and place of public hearings
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• Aug. 24 – Property appraiser mails TRIM notices within 55 days after certification of value; F.S. 200.065
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• Aug. 25 – Tentative budget update workshop
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• Aug. 30 – Departments submit final prior-year projects’ carry forward list to OMB
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• Sept. 15, 6 p.m. – First public hearing – board holds first public hearing to adopt tentative millage rate and tentative budget, and MSBU hearing
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• Sept. 24 – Budget ad in newspapers; F.S. 200.065(3)(a); 200.065(3)(b); 129.03(3)(b); 200.065(3)(l)
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• Sept. 29, 6 p.m. – Second/final public hearing – board holds second and final public hearing to adopt final millage rates and budget; F.S. 200.065(2)
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• Sept. 30 – Resolutions adopting millage and budget submitted to the tax collector, property appraiser, and Florida Department of Revenue; F.S. 200.065(4)
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• Sept. 30 – Submit TRIM compliance package to the property tax oversight program

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