Meeting July 24, the Cedar Key Commission set the maximum property tax millage rate for fiscal year 2008-2009 at 3.6879 mills. That preliminary action is a commitment to go no higher, but may be set lower after Budget Workshops and final action in late September. What had been a tradition of setting the preliminary rate at 5 mills, thereby giving maximum flexibility during budgeting, was not followed. A motion to set the rate at 5 mills by Commissioner Gene Hodges, and seconded by Commissioner Sue Colson, failed to get the unanimous approval as required by Florida law. Mayor/Commissioner Heath Davis cast the no vote that killed the motion. A second motion to set the rate at 4 mills also failed to get approval. Mayor Davis then passed the gavel to Vice Mayor Sue Colson in a parliamentary move that allowed him to make a motion. The Davis motion set the millage rate at 3.6879 and was seconded by Commissioner Scott Dennison. The motion passed with Commissioners Hodges and Pat O'Neal dissenting. Because the rate was sufficiently low, a unanimous vote was not required. Under the 3.6879 rate, budget planning will be based on expected revenue of $764,970 for fiscal 2008-2009. Following a series of Budget workshops at which no vote can be taken, the final millage rate will be set in late September. The budget total will be between the $682,236 generated from last year's millage rate of 3.125 mills and $764,970 generated by the current preliminary rate of 3.6879. That is a potential increase of $82,644, a 12.1 percent increase. | 