Mayor/Commissioner Paul Oliver went to great lengths to emphasize the tentative nature of the City's preliminary property tax millage rate set August 8. Giving a lecture that is repeated each year at the beginning of the budge process, he said that the initial rate is set artificially high due to State law which prohibits increasing the rate once the budget goes forward. He cautioned the audience, and anyone writing about the rate, to consider the annual retreat from the initial figure. Following a brief discussion, with City Clerk Frances Hodges noting that the 2006 initial millage was set at 4.0 and eventually finalized at 3.125, the 2007 millage was set at 5.0. That rate was approved unanimously by Mayor Oliver and Commissioners Sue Colson and Pat O'Neal, with Commissioners Vanessa Edmunds and Gene Hodges absent. The Florida Legislature recently imposed restrictions on local government taxes, ostensively mandating lower tax revenues. Compounding the budget planning difficulties is the promised minor increase in property valuation recently announced by the Levy County Property Appraiser. The paradox of a minor increase causing difficulties is beyond explanation in this space. The City Commissioner will hold a series of workshops to prioritize and publicize the allocation of tax money for the coming fiscal year. Historically, these workshops are very poorly attended by citizens despite adequate public notices of events. | 