Public Gets Say on County's Proposed Budget Tuesday Night

County commissioners are set to hear what you have to say about Pasco’s proposed budget that keeps tax rates unchanged but brings in $3.3 million less than last year.

The commission will open a public hearing on the proposed millage rate at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the government center in Dade City. The new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.

Commissioners will consider a millage of 6.36 mills for the county’s main operating fund and 1.42 mills for the Municipal Fire Service Taxing Unit. That is the same as the current budget.

That would bring the total of those two major funds for most households in unincorporated Pasco to 7.68 mills. Commissioners cannot raise their millage rate.

Schools, cities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District all can add millage to the tax bill. There also are special assessment districts that can add to a tax bill.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value after any exemptions are removed.

The proposed budget calls for spending $1.141 billion, a tally that covers all constitutional officers, special districts, and other expenses.

Sheriff Wants Help

Tuesday afternoon during the regular commission meeting, commissioners are expected to discuss Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s request for new employees to combat what he said is an explosion of crime fueled prescription narcotics and pill mills.

Nocco told commissioners he needs 23 new positions, including crime analysts, detectives and jail medical staff to deal with the crime wave.

His proposed budget of $83.37 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year is 3.5 percent below the current spending plan, though the reduction mainly comes from public employees paying 3 percent toward their retirement that had been picked up by the county.

The new positions make up $1.6 million of the sheriff’s proposed budget.

Commissioners also are expected to talk about adding another county worker to help veterans, an effort pushed by Commissioner Pat Mulieri.

Some veterans wait weeks for help with their benefits, she has said.

What's Up With Water and Sewer Bills?

Commissioners also will consider setting a hearing to give the public a chance to talk about another issue that will hit their wallets: higher water and sewer bills.

The higher rates are proposed for customers getting water and sewer service from the county’s public utility system. The hearing would be at the commission’s next meeting on Sept. 20.

Utility officials are seeking a rate increase that would boost monthly bills by $5.44 for a household using 6,000 gallons of water monthly.

Households using more than 6,000 gallons a month would pay more.

The four-year rate schedule would ratchet up annually until that household’s bill for water and sewer service would go from the current $59.77 to $71.97 a month by 2015.

The utility system considers 6,000 gallons monthly an average customer’s consumption.

The average bill next year would be $65.21 a month, an amount the utility officials say compares well to some surrounding utility systems.

While lower than $79.57 for Hillsborough, the proposed rate is almost level with Pinellas County utilities which is $65.57 but below Hernando County’s average charge of $40.47.

The increase also covers all other fees and charges from fire hydrant service fees to reclaimed water rates and customer deposits.

The new rates are needed to meet obligations of the county’s bonds for water and sewer systems, the utility department said in a memo to commissioners.

Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. on the second floor of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave. in Dade City for their regular meeting. The public hearing on the budget starts tonight at 6:30.