COMMISSIONERS MET IN SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP
2026 August 6
Cedar Key City Commissioners met in a workshop setting on Thursday, August 6, at 3 pm, at City Hall, in its second budget conference. All commissioners were present: Mayor Jim Wortham, Vice Mayor Mel Beckham, Nancy Sera, Dell Weible, and Heath Davis. Also, critical to the workshop was James Moore and Company, Certified Public Accountants and Tax Accounting Services’ representative who attended via Zoom, as did City Attorney Norm Fugate.
The millage rate was set at the last budget workshop at 4.47684, the same rate as last year.
Commissioners proceeded to discuss how the Public Works Department , the Fire Department, and the Police Department could cut their budgets to alleviate the extant approximately $122,000 overage.
Resident Mandy Offerle asked why commissioners would begin negotiations diminishing critical services instead of starting with discussions on where they might raise more money. No adequate response was offered.
City Clerk Brooke Smith suggested several ways to garner dollars for the city: consider charging for notary stamps and selling the automobile the city bought for the former clerk/building official to manage her job.
After presentations from Chief of Police Edwin Jenkins, Fire Chief Robert Robinson, and Public Works Director Jamie McCain, commissioners eliminated two full-time positions, currently unfilled, from the Police and FAire budgets, claiming that should they hire fill the empty positions later, a budget amendment would be needed. No mention was made regarding where that money would come from.
Noteworthy is the fact that neither Chief Jenkins nor Chief Robinson requested a raise for themselves. Robinson did, however, request a raise for his full-time assistant.
Commissioner Beckham again asked the other commissioners if a full-time police department was needed. No response came from commissioners.The representative of James Moore was directed to make the agreed upon changes to the budget and return an update to commissioners.
One audience member asked the commission to present the percentage of the total budget each department necessitated.
Meeting adorned at 4:30 pm
