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City News: CRA Meeting Agenda 12-20-11
December 17th, 2011

City News: CRA Meeting Cancelled
November 30th, 2011

City News: CITY MEETING “IF IT’S NOT IN THE BUDGET, IT’S NOT IN THE BUDGET”
November 16th, 2011

City News: 11-1-11 City Commission Meeting
November 3rd, 2011

City News: CITY OKAYS DRONE PROJECT; COASTAL CLEANUP REVEALS FEWER RECYCLABLES OVERBOARD
October 20th, 2011

City News: Cedar Key City Meeting Agenda
October 18th, 2011

City News: BRIEF CRA MEETING ADOPTS BUDGET, EMPLOYEE MANUAL
October 6th, 2011

City News: COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2011-2012 BUDGET OVER MAYOR DAVIS’S “NO” VOTE
September 28th, 2011

City News: CEDAR KEY CONFORMS LOCAL LAW TO FLORIDA’S HB 45 PRO-GUN LEGISLATION;
September 22nd, 2011

City News: CITY’S FORMAL BUDGET HEARING PROCESS BEGINS THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 15
September 14th, 2011

City News: WALT BROWN OUT AS BUILDING INSPECTOR; OTHER CITY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 6 - REVISED
September 13th, 2011

City News: A MARINA WISH LIST FOR CEDAR KEY
August 31st, 2011

City News: BROKEN SEWER PIPES, NEW INSURANCE RATES - BUMP BUDGET WORKSHOP
August 31st, 2011

City News: City Commission Report 8-16-2011
August 17th, 2011

City News: City Meeting Agenda 8-8-2011
August 6th, 2011

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COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2011-2012 BUDGET OVER MAYOR DAVIS’S “NO” VOTE

COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2011-2012 BUDGET OVER MAYOR DAVIS’S “NO” VOTE

Jean Rigg

At the final state-mandated budget hearing Monday evening, September 26, the City Commission voted 4 to 1 to adopt a $1,369,248 city budget for 2011-2012 and a millage rate of 3.757 (the rate "rolled back" from last year`s millage rate of 3.6548 in order to result in last year`s city income total). Mayor Heath Davis cast the sole negative vote, without comment.

Again, the public didn`t show up for the public hearing.

After the meeting, the Cedar Key News spoke with Mayor Davis regarding his vote. "The city is living beyond its means," he explained. The city`s share of property tax revenue is declining. Expenses have been reduced, but not enough to prevent the city from balancing this expense budget by dipping into what Mayor Davis termed "reserves."

By "reserves," Mayor Davis pointed to funds (such as the Marina Fund, and a "garbage fund" consisting of proceeds from the city`s sale of its garbage truck some ten years ago) established by the city for other purposes.

Immediately following the budget hearing, in order to act on two items of city business without waiting two weeks for the next regularly-scheduled city commission meeting, the commissioners reconvened to give final agreement to the proposed contract with new city attorney Norm Fugate and to hear an updated proposal from the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association (CKAA) to manage trash at the shell pile.

Ken Edmunds presented the CKAA`s updated proposal. The Association is asking the city to help pay trash pick=up charges at the shell pile not covered by the city`s current agreement with WastePro. The CKAA`s updated proposal, taking into consideration actual tonnage figures for the most recent trash pick up from the shell pile, asks the city to share the cost of the tipping fee (the charge for each delivery to the dump) on a fifty-fifty basis, rather than the 75/25 (city/CKAA) allocation originally proposed.

In discussion, all five commissioners expressed appreciation for the Association`s efforts to properly dispose of the discarded cover nets that constitute the bulk of the trash at the shell pile. However, Commissioners Dale Register and Scott Dennison reported that their constituents have questioned why the city should subsidize the clam industry when other island industries are not so subsidized.

After discussion among the commissioners - and including the CKAA`s Rose Cantwell, who was also present - the City Commission agreed to the Association proposal for the shell pile, incorporating Commissioner Gene Hodges` provision for an initial three-month trial period.

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