TAXES, RATES & CODE
This past week all of the property owners in Broward County should have received their proposed property taxes for the 2010 year. I have already received phone calls in regards to our tax rate. As I have written in the past, the proposed tax rate is tentative, 6.2000. This figure is always set slightly higher than what will be decided through our budget workshops and hearings. The adopted tax rate during our budget hearings is the same as last year 5.9000 mills. After our budget workshops all of our tax rates including the Safe Neighborhood Districts were set at the same rate as the year before. The City’s Fire will remain at $125.
A notice was sent out by the Broward County Property Appraiser, which is very complex. There is a tremendous amount of explanation within the document as well as many contact numbers to address, as well as concerns about property values. I encourage all of our readers to take the time out to understand the document.
Many property owners jump to the last column on the statement. This is not for the tax rate. This is called the rollback rate. It is the rate if no changes were made that would generate the same amount of taxes as the year before. The state establishes this “roll back rate” as part of the Safe Our Homes Legislation. It is not the proposed rate. Once a city sets the tentative rate, it becomes the maximum amount that can be charged by the City without reissuing what is called the truth in mileage, TRIM, notice. It can be reduced.
There is one other confusing aspect of our tax structure. Residents that have a homestead exemption which may have seen a reduction in your market value yet still have an increase in the assessment to save our homes value. This value is reduced by homestead exemptions to equal the taxable value. The increase in this value is capped at 3% annually. This means homesteaded residents will see a slight tax increase above last year even though the tax rate is the same. Since values have gone down, non-homesteaded properties will see a reduction.
The other important information to recognize on this notice is the hearing dates to set the final tax rate. The City of Hallandale Beach will be conducting two public hearings for further input from our residents. The first is scheduled for September 15 at 6:55 p.m. at the Municipal Complex, 400 South Federal Highway, the second and final hearing will be held on September 29th at 6:55 p.m. There are two other taxing districts, the Three Island Safe Neighborhood District and the Golden Isles Safe Neighborhood District, which will be heard immediately following the hearings on ad valorem. There is one hearing on the Fire Assessment which will be conducted on September 15 at 7:25 p.m.
During the budget workshops, the City Commission also establishes fees for services. Once again, we have not cut out any services that our residents depend on. Residential solid waste trash and recycling services will remain the same. Monthly residential rates will remain at $18.87 and commercial rates will also remain unchanged. There was one fee change. The fee to replace commercial and residential trash carts. The City was charging a $65 flat rate. The new rate is simply the actual cost of labor and materials.
There will be a welcomed rate reduction for any multifamily over 4 units. Approximately 2 months ago, I was approached by a condominium president who shared with me his frustration over the fact that the multifamily rates are not competitive with other providers. We sat down at a meeting and reviewed his quotes for service. Comparing apples to apples, we were not even close. At that time, I requested the Staff to reevaluate our charges and bring it in line with other private waste services. Overall the new rates decreased 37% over last year’s.
Depending on the amount and size of the dumpsters required, the fees have been lowered. For example a one-yard container used to cost $119 it will now cost $75. An eight yard container used to be $823 and is now $510. The more containers utilized that the rate per container decreases. The commission was pleased to see we could offer relief to many of our condominiums while still remaining competitive and covering the cost of service.
Water sewer and storm water rates all remain the same. While Hallandale Beach’s water rates are not the lowest, we are certainly not the highest. Based on the 6000 gallon capacity, our rate is $30.57 with the highest rate in the county being $42.11 and the lowest being $17.08. Residents should also keep in mind that our infrastructure system is one of the oldest and we continue to reinvest in improving the pipes and systems, in some cases these are over 50 years old.
Every municipality has various ways of charging for water. We have a base rate and then charge per gallon on a scale utilized to encourage water conservation. Sewer rates are also in the middle at $33.71, which is 6000 a gallon usage, the highest being $52.54 and the lowest being $24.24. Our storm water is the second lowest out of 16 cities that charge for storm water management. The lowest is $23 and the highest $127.27.
As I mentioned before, the Fire fee is remaining at $125. We are the eighth lowest in the County with the lowest being $85.30 and the highest being $350.
As you can see, cities across the county used various methodologies to charge for services they provide. Within our budget documents, the Staff have provided a full presentation of surveys to allow our residents see how we compare to other communities. One of the most useful charts is the annual cost-of-living comparisons that take in consideration all fees for service including ad valorem tax rates. Hallandale Beach ranks ninth in the cost-of-living comparisons countywide.
A few months ago, the City Commission held an evening workshop to review Code Enforcement and Development Service operations. The main focus was to work with our residents and staff in addressing the permitting process and ways in which we could make it more efficient and reduce costs. The Staff will continue to work towards improving the department and brought forth various reductions and amendments to our feet booklet.
One main highlight was a reduction in permitting fees for minor residential repairs. These include water heaters, dishwashers, washer, dryers, sinks, toilet fixtures, etc. Many single-family home owners are unaware that this work does require a permit. The rule requiring this permit is a state regulation to ensure contractors are doing the work performed properly and according to state building codes. Many condo unit owners are well aware of this regulation because no one is allowed to work in their buildings without a permit.
The old fee required is a $75 processing fee and a separate permit for each trade. For example: A water heater permit used to cost over $175 because it involved electric and plumbing. The new flat rate is $50. The City also used to charge a minimum processing fee of $75 plus an hourly fee for each plan review. The City has moved away from flat fees plus hourly rates to a charge per trade per hour. This new rate will provide the cost for providing the service and be covered. There were other various amendments to the development services fee schedule. The majority of these reflect the philosophy of covering cost equitably to the user.
For this, there were some miscellaneous changes to the feet booklet and other areas. We have amended our rates for cemetery services. There was an increase in non-residential rates. These changes are more intended to preserve our cemetery for residential use and cover burial costs. After evaluation staff found that many people were utilizing our cemetery since we were far less than other cemeteries in the area.
There was a new fee created for residential and non-residential six-month Bocce Court membership. The new rate for residents was set at $15 and the non-resident fee was set at $25. The City established the new fee to cover the cost of lighting and maintenance for the courts.
Again, please visit the City’s web-site where you can have access to all of our budget information. I will continue reporting on the budget in next week’s article.
As always feel free to contact me at any time with your questions and concerns. I can be reached at 954-457-1318, cell/text 954-632-5700 or e-mail me at www.MayorJoyCooper.com
