Council approved a 5-cent tax rate election after hours of public comments expressing concerns over budget cuts and property taxes. Opinions varied, with some homeowners criticizing past spending and opposing cuts to municipal services. The state legislature is attempting to lower the tax cap to 2.5% without an election. Mayor Pro Tem Fuentes emphasized immediate funding needs as she and several Council members advocated for amendments in response to federal funding losses, while others raised concerns about maintaining reserves for the future.
Fuentes shot back: "You know, I hate hearing that there won't be due consideration for the amendments we put forward, because the rainy day is now. Many of the amendments I have put forth are because organizations are losing federal funding, and to think that we're talking about where our reserve policy is three, four years from now, as a point of contention, to me, is just wild. Fuentes reminded Council that 'when I entered in 2021, our reserve policy was 14%."
I know that our reserve policy has changed over the years, but I want us to remember why we changed it and that we need to actually stick with it," Ellis urged.
Collection
[
|
...
]