Monday, September 30, 2013

Lake Worth Budget Summary

Comment Up

There is a city commission meeting tonight, the 2nd public hearing on setting the millage and approving the budget. This meeting should take all of 5 minutes.

The first one; the wrong one

One week later. Note--not one number is the same on the corrected Notice of Proposed Tax increase depicted below. Tonight the commission will vote to accept the Budget and the general city millage rate at the 2nd Public Hearing.

As one person said to me, "Why would the city publish a corrected TRIM notice informing the public of its taxes and allow, once again, an erroneous figure even if Florida law allows a discrepancy within 5% of the true figures. Why would you use a false figure to begin with rather than the true figure?" As the Finance Director explains it, "The $5,788, 123( in the budget) is 95% of the $6,036,864 (this year’s proposed tax levy) plus a small amount  estimated  for delinquent tax payments. No wonder the public is confused.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't pay any friggin property taxes anyway so if you're too obtuse to understand it what's the big deal?

Lynn Anderson said...

Who's calling the kettle black? Give me your figures.
Look, stop the name calling. Go to that other blog if you want to continue your juvenile and hateful comments.
Thanks so much.
And pay more than they are advertising and telling you--you deserve it.

Anonymous said...

Lynn, I was told by a friend of your blog how unbiased and informative that your blog is. It is not surprising that LW Politicians tell the public that the millage is the same and never refer that in fact it is a 4.9 percent increase over last years
tax revenue, not a 4.6. What's a little fraction of a point in the scheme of things? In the notice of proposed tax increase notice they had to correct all four of the numbers from the previous ad, that means every number they showed in the tax increase, yet in the budget summary under Ad Valorem taxes they show the number of 6,036,864.
instead of the correct figure that shows in the tax increase.
Where is the CM when all this is happening?

You sure do attract the nasties in Lake Worth like 10:24 above who sounds like a reader who needs some good direction.

Anonymous said...

I think it's that lady who speaks on every subject at city commission meetings and won't shut up. She thinks she runs city hall and is the power behind the dais. Run her out on a rail and tell her to pay her mortgage.

Lynn Anderson said...

LOL. We don't know who it is because they hide behind the anonymous cyber attack--what we do know is, the person is a coward and he/she continues to use the only big word that he/she knows.

Anonymous said...

What a Screw up in informing the public about a tax increase. In the proposed tax increase correction, they had to change all four numbers in regards to the increases.
Instead of a 4.6% increase using the new figures, it comes out to 4.9 %, Does this require another correction being printed for the Public?
6,036,864.
- 5,739,394
297,470 = 4.9%
If the state statue is to inform the Public, how come we can't get it straight?

Anonymous said...

I bet you see a change in the dais this March. Especially the Mayor. When we get someone to run, that blowhard Maxwell will be gone. Every election he spouts what he is gonna do and does nothing. He is the original told ya so. After elections you will see our arrogant c.m. answer phone calls and e-mails.

Anonymous said...

90 percent of the properties in Lake Worth pay almost nothing in taxes to the city. Most are valued at less than 100,000. It's amazing that anyone cares about this notice. The only thing saving the city. Is the money it makes from the high electric bills. Amazing the city is still existing.

Anonymous said...

Channel 12 news at 5:00 showed in a nutshell the problems in L.W. After watching I want to move, but who would buy my home. Then I listened to the commission and mayor make light of the potholes and the c.m. defend why they are not repaired. Are we broke? Why do we keep hiring people unsuited for the job? We should let the ship sink and start over, but first make the electeds walk the plank. In honor of pirates day,of course.

Anonymous said...

Lynn are you aware of the Channel 12 news report at 5:00 on the cities blight? OMG

Anonymous said...

Property values are going up in the City. A friend bought a house 8 months ago and because of a job promotion, had to list, she will be leaving Florida. She is going to make almost $60 k.if you want out of Lake Worth so bad anon @6:37 Now is the time to list.

Anonymous said...

anon at 12:19; you may not like Maxwell and that's okay, but to say he doesn't do anything might be a bit off base.

I think if you really went back and looked at things a bit more objectively, you might see that when he was in the minority on the BCE, he was the only one who never even blinked on the idea of getting rid of PBSO-not only did he say no to the idea, he said HELL NO!; also, when in the minority, he challenged the commission to reduce electric by 25% within 5 years...they laughed and said it could not be done...however he forced the commission to begin reducing the electric rates not once, but three times in the past three years; he worked against the fire assessment that wasn't necessary (created more government etc) by the way did you forget that in spite of not imposing the fire assessment, there was a million dollar surplus that year? how about the call on the costs of the beach reconstruction, again in the minority he pointed out the financial pitfalls BEFORE dirt was even turned and guess what..that's right; he was right again.(no repayment to city for money taken from excessive utility profits, not enough money in CAM to pay for costs to maintain etc)


you may not like the guy for your own personal reasons, but he does work his tail off looking out for ALL of the people, not just small clusters like the bce. ( for example $3000 utility grants to Larry McNamara, Commissioner Jennings and the rest of their friends)

just saying

Lynn Anderson said...

Then, if that is the case, why don't you return my phone calls or acknowledge my e-mails, Vice Mayor? Is it just small clusters of people that are on your "return call list?" You know, "the in crowd?" The BCE was responsive to the residents.

P.S. The IN CROWD eventually becomes the OUT CROWD. That's fact.

Anonymous said...

To just saying, citizen meetings kept pbso. Maxwell jumped on that wagon when he saw the support and used its success like it was his own. The 4.5% rate reduction is guaranteed for this year only. So its re-election b.s. Yes, he blew smoke about problems at the beach, but what did it accomplish. I like the guy personally, but he is not qualified to leed a city that is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Anonymous said...

Lynn, if there is an in crowd it is very small. I think we have a worried desperate crowd looking for leadership.

Anonymous said...

10:58 I do not believe your 60 thou profit after 8 months story.

Laurel said...

The whole post @ 10:58 is untrue. It's easy to make up stories about the budget and "surplus" when no one understands the budget.
Your lowered utility rates are going back up as soon as they get their campaign literature printed.

Lynn Anderson said...

I think you meant the post at 6:53am Laurel??