Florida’s 67 county governments are at a critical crossroads in the debate playing out in

Tallahassee over how to reform Florida’s current property tax system. Some state leaders have

cast local governments as the villain in this issue. Indeed, some proposals would impose state mandated

caps on local government spending and cut billions of dollars that counties need to

pay for critical local programs and services for our citizens.

As we head into a special session, it is essential for counties to effectively communicate how

various proposals could hurt citizens at the local level. While various proposals impact individual

counties in different ways, it is critical that Florida’s 67 county governments speak with one

voice on property tax reform.

What follows is a communications toolkit designed to assist Florida’s counties in addressing the

property tax reform issue with media, legislators, business and community leaders and the

general public. Inside you will find key messages to help “frame” your discussions, tips on telling

your county’s story, fact sheets and other materials.

visit our website regularly for up-to-date information.

With the special session slated for June 12-22, there are just a few short weeks for us to

compile the data and effectively communicate to the public and the legislature the draconian

impacts certain property tax proposals will have on your county. Over the next weeks, we are

asking each county to assess the impacts and define the cuts to services in your county. Once

your analysis is complete we are encouraging each county to implement any number of

community events to raise awareness of these service cuts.

1. Implementation Timeline

2. Menu of Implementation

- Moving from $s and %s

- Public Hearings

- Publication of cuts

- Joint Resolution

- Reach out to the Legislature

- Community Speeches

- Other Ideas

3. Message Implementation

- Telling your county’s story

- Implementing key messages

4. Tools

- Key Messages

- FAC Official Position on Property Tax Reform

- Property Tax Reform Question and Answers

- Sample Speech

- Sample Joint Resolution

- Sample publication of cuts

Legislative contact information:

For additional information, please contact:

Cragin Mosteller

Florida Association of Counties

cmosteller@fl-counties.com

(850) 922-4300

May 7 – 11

Use this week to prepare:

employees

educate the public on impacts of certain??? property tax proposals (It

appears Governor Crist will hit the road with the plan he’s already

unveiled, while the House is getting set to issue something new next

week – should we allude to these?

to include your constitutional officers

May 14 – 18

Continue preparations

eliminated

citizen groups

May 28 – June 8

May 21 – 25

Finish preparations and begin implementation

programs, divisions and jobs. Publish on website, county bulletin board

and release to media

services agencies and non-profit community groups

May 28 – June 8

Implementation

community programs

June 11

Pre-Session Kick Off

June 12 – 22

Session

It is important that we work with local county budget offices to ensure that the cuts they are

predicting can be easily translated and understood by your county residents.

While understanding how much your county budget would be cut in dollar terms is

important, the average person isn’t budgeting for road maintenance or public safety in their

household budget. It is important to clearly identify that $1 million translates to certain and

specific program reductions and eliminations, job cuts and layoffs. Few of us understand

how much a road costs to build – so articulate which road projects will be delayed. Few of

us understand how much it costs to operate special programs and it is important to put a

face on these programs whether it is summer camp or law enforcement.

While clearly articulating the impact to services, it is also important to articulate what will no

longer happen. If your county must delay plans to hire new personnel – whether that is park

rangers or sheriff deputies – these freezes are equally important to the reduction or

elimination of services.\

Additionally, counties routinely provide regular annual funding to a worthy array of local

social services agencies and not-for-profit entities – these appropriations often support

public health, mental health, recreation and the arts in your communities. It is important to

identify any of these agencies that you will be forced to cut, and to enlist them as third-party

advocates for the value of county government.

Public Hearings:

Involving the public is crucial to the debate regarding property tax relief. There are three

general audiences for property tax reform:

1. Those who are suffering from inequities within the existing tax structure;

2. Anti-Tax / Anti-Government activists; and,

3. Concerned citizens who are actively involved in the services of local government,

from the arts to public safety.

It is crucial that we engage all of these groups, especially our concerned citizens who are

happy with the level of services they are receiving, because their opinion has not yet been

heard in the property tax debate. Holding a public hearing will allow these groups to speak

to you directly regarding their concerns over cuts in their county services.

Brevard County recently held a successful public hearing that brought out more than 300

people. Its success is due, in large part, to the steps they took to prepare for the meeting.

Before hosting a property tax public hearing, please make sure to do the following.

1. Have all divisions within county government identify what cuts specifically would be

made to their programs and personnel prior to that meeting.

2. Have those divisions email their proposed cuts in services to any of their advisory

boards, concerned citizens or volunteers.

3. As a county, publish the entire list of programs, divisions and staff that would be cut or

eliminated due to projected ad valorum reductions. Ensure the publication of such a list

would reach many of your citizens.

4. With a week of such publication or communication, host a forum where commissioners

can listen to the public concerns regarding cuts in services and the need for property tax

reform.

Identify and publish for the community the impact of property tax proposals on county

services. Be specific – name the programs, number of staff positions eliminated, reduced

hours, closed public buildings, etc. Contact the users of those programs and educate them

on the impacts while encouraging them to contact their legislator to achieve fair and

equitable property tax relief without causing a second crisis at the local level.

Draft (FAC can draft one for you) and pass a resolution outlining your County Commission’s

concerns regarding certain property tax proposals and as clearly as possible outline the

expected cuts from those property tax plans. Forward that resolution to the legislator and

governor along with your local media.

Ultimately, it will be up to your local legislative delegation members to decide whether to

vote for or against proposed bills that could hurt your county. It is important to engage your

local legislators throughout the special session on how various proposals might impact

citizens back home.

citizens, not-for-profit leaders and constitutional officers to visit your legislators in

Tallahassee or their district offices.

being hashed in the Capitol.

Representatives, Florida Senate and governor regarding the devastating impacts certain

rollback years would hold for their programs. Feel free to contact individual legislators

and/or direct emails to:

particular day. It is an effective way of making an impression on your legislator as well as

ensuring that volunteers write.

Please, work with your county’s lobbyist—if you have one—to determine the informational

needs of legislators and the voices in your community who might influence them.

Encourage your commissioners and senior team to speak with local civic organizations

regarding concerns over certain property tax proposals while outlining not just in dollars but

in actual programs, services and job freezes or losses what these cuts would mean to

county government.

The web is an inexpensive and critical tool for outlining the impacts of property tax relief

proposals. On the web you can not only provide the summaries of the information your

county is releasing but also the detailed analysis of your budget office and the important

conclusions they have drawn.

Consider setting up surveys on your website that ask citizens to weigh in on property tax

reform and the cuts they are willing to accept and/or suggest.

camps informing them of the impacts cuts may have on that program.

could cover the impacts of devastating cuts from a human interest story and how a

wide variety of citizens could be impacted the loss of certain services. Contact your

business reporter and encourage them to write on the economic impacts such a cut

could have on your community.

There’s an old adage that “all politics are local.” Nothing could be truer than when it comes to

how your county—and the 66 others in Florida—can positively influence the property tax reform

debate playing out in Tallahassee.

Simply put, the greatest pressure that Florida’s counties can bring to bear on this issue is to

engage and educate local audiences on how state-imposed revenue and spending caps or

other proposals that erode your county’s tax base—will seriously challenge local control and

harm your ability to provide crucial services for your county’s residents.

What follows are some tips for successfully swaying this debate in your communities.

In conducting local outreach, focus on the following audiences:

of public health, transportation, housing, transportation, parks and libraries.

recipients of county services, community and business leaders.

It is critical that counties speak with consistency in framing the challenges posed by these

property tax reform proposals. Review and use the key messages provided in this toolkit to

serve as a “foundation” for the remarks that you make to key audiences. Go back to these key

messages repeatedly in your discussions. These messages are:

essential county programs and services they depend on.

been spent responsibly. Proposed cuts will impact REAL local services such as deputies,

emergency management as well as social services.

Counties have offered alternative solutions to help taxpayers.

Additionally, emphasize that state proposals further erode local control over the ability of local

elected officials and citizens to make local decisions on how local property tax dollars are raised

and used to pay for local programs. Challenge a one-size-fits-all, Tallahassee solution handed

down to counties.

County Commissioners and their staffs cannot alone effectively shape this debate. There is

power in real-time data that details specific cuts that counties could face, and in encouraging

other voices to speak up with you in concern. Here are some thoughts for packaging your story:

could hurt your community.

the current legislative proposals, and ask recipients of those programs to join you in

speaking out. Pay special attention to social services agencies or not-for-profit entities that

could lose critical grants they depend on from county government.

Your local media is an important conduit in providing information to local constituents and local

legislative delegation members in how Tallahassee proposals could hurt your community. As a

result, it is crucial that you establish and maintain ongoing contact with local media throughout

the debate on this issue. Here are some tips on media outreach:

provide them with regular updates on how legislative proposals could harm your county.

Give them specifics in terms of potential revenue loss and programs for citizens that could

be impacted.

discussions with the editorial writer who is covering the property tax issue. Ask the editorial

community and business leaders who understand this challenge, to speak to the media

with you.

programs or receiving services that could face cuts, and encourage them to speak up.

Consider holding media events at libraries, social service agencies, affordable housing

communities, public health departments, etc., where the actual impact of cuts would be felt.

plans and county officials or others in your community who want to speak out. Coordination

of effort will help counties to be most effective.

materials and possible release to legislators and capitol press corps.

As part of this toolkit, you have received a two-page document titled “Key messages: 2007

Florida Legislative Session.” What follows is a brief guide for how to use the messages and the

rationale behind the messages.

While property tax reform proposals impact individual counties in different ways, it is important

that Florida’s 67 counties speak with “one voice” in framing this debate. Key messages help to

provide the listener/viewer/reader with a framework for understanding the counties’ position on

this issue—a “headline” and “lead paragraph” if you will.

Substantial communications research has documented that three or four key messages are

optimum in most communications efforts. If county officials use these messages repeatedly in

various forums, they will be internalized by the listener and then repeated to others.

Simply put, if county officials don’t frame the property tax debate using messages, the recipient

(media, legislators, general public) will listen to the myriad facts that we can offer and decide for

themselves what the key message is. In other words, key messages help us to proactively

Messages should always be:

You will see that each of the three messages has three elements:

The “theme” is a short phrase to help the county official have quick recall of the “message.” (The

message is only as good as the deliverer’s ability to remember it). The “message” is the

headline we want to deliver. The “supporting points” are facts, anecdotes, data, etc., that help to

illustrate and bolster the message. Thus, county officials can substitute local impacts data or

other information as supporting points to the messages if they wish.

The four initial key messages for Florida’s counties for the 2007 legislative session are:

dollars have been spent responsibly. Proposed cuts will impact REAL local

services such as deputies, emergency management as well as social services.

Theme/message 1 acknowledges that Florida’s current property tax system is creating inequity

and pain for some taxpayers. But it cautions that the answer is not to hurt those very same

taxpayers by hampering local services for them.

Theme/message 2 educates audiences on the range of services that counties provide and that

certain property tax proposals will result in deep cuts to county services.

Theme/message 3 addresses Florida’s ongoing explosive growth and demand for services, and

how it necessitates increased spending.

Theme/message 4 affirms that Florida’s counties are closely bound to all citizens and are an

important voice in solving this crisis. It also addresses that we have proactively offered

solutions.

other counties—feel about the potentially devastating impacts of some of the Legislature’s

proposals.

back to them throughout your remarks and close with them.

messages.

property tax structure is broken and must be fixed.

over time: It has shifted a disproportionate share of the tax burden to businesses and

renters, “locked” people into their current homes, and created vast discrepancies in the tax

bills of similarly-valued homes.

that improve equity and fairness among taxpayers. Simply put, citizens in similar

circumstances should pay similar tax bills. Hastily constructed “political sound bite” solutions

will only intensify Florida’s property tax crisis.

millions of dollars in funding for essential county programs and services that our citizens

demand and depend on.

county budgets statewide. This would especially hurt Florida’s 32 rural counties—some

already at the 10 mill cap—in their efforts to provide essential services such as law

enforcement, fire protection, jails, court systems, parks and roads.

scholars. Existing law says newcomers who become permanent Florida residents must be

treated the same as other residents of the state.

Florida’s 67 counties reduced millage rates, resulting in more than $500 million in savings

to taxpayers. In 2005, nearly half of the counties reduced millage rates, result in $185 million

in savings to taxpayers. (Insert local savings examples here.)

dollars have been spent responsibly. Proposed cuts will impact REAL local

services such as deputies, emergency management as well as social services.

population grows, citizens seek a higher quality of life, and federal and state governments

push more responsibility for paying for programs onto counties.

but one thing is clear – many proposals offer cuts deep enough to dramatically affect law

enforcement and other public safety programs.

basic services, such as: public safety (including sheriffs, fire and rescue, and building

inspection); public welfare (including medical help for the needy, affordable housing and

environmental protection); and transportation (including road construction and maintenance,

right-of-way acquisitions, and drainage systems.) In recent years, state leaders have added

to counties’ fiscal burden by mandating they help pay for programs, or fund them outright.

For example, counties have paid for an increasing share of Medicaid costs, for state juvenile

justice programs and for coverage for the uninsured. (Insert local examples of state funding

mandates here).

from environmental issues and voter regulations to welfare disabilities and labor

requirements. (Insert local examples of federal mandates here).

other services that add to quality of life in Florida’s communities. For example, counties

provide their citizens with basic utilities, public transportation, parks, libraries, and other

infrastructure.

tax revenues. What happened to this money? About 34 percent of county spending was

directly attributable to population growth and inflation (both rose 17 percent), and included

required infrastructure improvements. The rest of the spending was concentrated in five

large budget categories: law enforcement, corrections, general government, parks, and

health and human services.

employee health insurance, pension obligations, fuel costs, construction and property

insurance that are rising faster than the Consumer Price Index.

the table in resolving the current property tax dilemma.

caps on county revenue or spending. Florida’s citizens want tax and spending

decisions made locally—they don’t want a “one size fits all” solution on property taxes

handed down from Tallahassee that will make things worse.

Tangible Personal Property Taxes.

revaluation upon change of ownership or use of the property. A 10 percent cap will even-out

assessments and taxes over time. A lower cap would be inequitable to newcomers to

Florida, including new businesses.

as the recent actions in Hillsborough, Sarasota, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties—to

debate and implement self-imposed revenue or spending caps. This is the essence of

“home rule” —local government, not Tallahassee, knows best what local citizens want and is

in the best position to make such decisions.

changes to the property tax system should be considered by the Taxation and Budget

Reform Commission—not rushed to voters as a special election ballot. The Tax and Budget

Reform Commission was approved by Florida voters and created in the state constitution to

do a comprehensive review of our state’s tax and budget policies. A special election would

preempt the work of this commission.

Florida Association of Counties supports responsible solutions that improve equity and fairness

among classes of taxpayers, as well as individual taxpayers. Florida’s counties support

reasonable limits on property tax assessment increases. Counties oppose caps on local

government expenditures/revenues, as well as modifications to the property tax structure that

erode the existing tax base.

not exist in Florida’s property tax structure today. Persons in similar circumstances should

face similar burdens.

millage rate reductions. In 2006, two-thirds of Florida counties reduced millage rates,

resulting in more than $500 million in savings to taxpayers. In 2005, nearly half of the

counties reduced millage rates, resulting in $185 million in savings to taxpayers.

$600 million from county budgets statewide. This reduction will significantly hamper the

ability of small counties, already at the 10 mill cap, to provide essential services to citizens.

unconstitutional on the basis that it violates a citizen’s constitutional “Right to Travel.” Legal

precedence establishes that newcomers who elect to become permanent residents have the

right to be treated like other residents of that state.

business taxpayer on Tangible Personal Property Taxes.

Florida’s counties support an annual assessment limitation of 10 percent on all non-homestead

properties with revaluation upon change of ownership or use of the property. The 10 percent

cap will even out assessments and taxes over time. A lower cap will be inequitable to

newcomers to Florida, including new businesses.

Finding a Solution: Placing proposed constitutional tax reforms on a special election ballot

would preempt the work of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, a commission

approved by Florida voters and created in the state constitution.

The sole purpose of the commission is to conduct a comprehensive and global analysis of local

and state revenues and expenditures and to recommend appropriate remedies as needed.

Difficult decisions about the state tax structure must be made to restore equity and balance to

Florida’s property tax structure. Any substantial and far-reaching modifications should be

deferred to this commission to ensure the proposals receive sufficient study and deliberation to

ascertain the full impacts of property tax reform measures.

# # #

The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) supports carefully weighed, responsible solutions

that insure equity and fairness among taxpayers. Citizens need property tax relief, but not by

creating a second crisis through forcing cuts in essential county programs and services they

depend on.

The Florida Association of Counties strongly opposes any move by the Legislature to statutorily

cap the revenues that local governments can raise to pay for crucial programs and services for

our citizens. Such a cap would force counties to make deep cuts to programs and services that

our citizens want and expect, and could harm quality of life in our communities.

Florida’s counties recognize that citizens need property tax relief – in 2006, two-thirds of the

state’s 67 county governments voluntarily reduced millage rates, resulting in more than $500

million in savings to taxpayers statewide. And in 2005, nearly half of the counties reduced

millage rates, resulting in savings of $185 million for taxpayers. But in attempting to craft relief,

the Legislature must avoid creating a second crisis by forcing cuts in essential county programs

and services that our citizens depend on.

Doubling the homestead exemption to $50,000 would eliminate more than $600 million from

county budgets statewide. This would especially hurt Florida’s 32 rural counties – some already

at the 10 mill cap – in their efforts to provide essential services.

The proposal to make Save Our Homes portable is likely unconstitutional, according to legal

scholars. Existing law says newcomers who become permanent Florida residents must be

treated the same as other residents of the state.

Counties provide crucial everyday support for Florida’s citizens and are spending property tax

dollars responsibly, despite the pressures of growth, citizen expectations and mandates.

County governments play an increasingly important role in the lives of citizens as our population

grows, citizens seek a higher quality of life, and federal and state governments push more

responsibility for paying for programs onto counties.

As political subdivisions of the state, counties are required by the state to provide certain basic

services, such as: public safety (including sheriffs, fire and rescue, and building inspection);

public welfare (including medical help for the needy, affordable housing and environmental

protection); and transportation (including road construction and maintenance, right-of-way

acquisitions, and drainage systems.

In recent years, state leaders have added to counties’ fiscal burden by mandating they help pay

for programs, or fund them outright. For example, counties have paid for an increasing share of

Medicaid costs, for state juvenile justice programs and for coverage for the uninsured.

Likewise, the federal government also imposes mandates on county government ranging from

environmental, landfill, and voter regulations to welfare disabilities and labor requirements.

This all totals up to almost $1 billion annually that counties statewide must take out of their

coffers.

Between 2001 and 2006, Florida’s counties saw a 68 percent growth statewide in property tax

revenues. What happened to this money? About 34 percent of county spending was directly

attributable to population growth and inflation (both rose 17 percent), and included required

infrastructure improvements. The rest of the spending was concentrated in five large budget

categories: law enforcement, corrections, general government, parks, and health and human

services.

Beyond basic services and mandates, citizens also look to counties to provide a range of other

services that add to quality of life in Florida’s communities. For example, counties provide their

citizens with basic utilities, public transportation, libraries, and other infrastructure.

Limits On Assessment Increases—We support reasonable limits on property tax assessment

increases, but oppose any state-mandated caps on county revenue or spending. Florida’s

citizens want tax and spending decisions made locally – they don’t want a “one size fits all”

solution on property taxes handed down from Tallahassee that will make things worse.

Tangible Tax Exemption—We support relief for businesses by providing a $25,000 exemption

per business taxpayer on Tangible Personal Property Taxes.

Annual Assessment Level—We support an annual assessment limit of 10 percent on all nonhomestead

properties with revaluation upon change of ownership or use of the property. A 10

percent cap will even-out assessments and taxes over time. A lower cap would be inequitable to

newcomers to Florida, including new businesses.

Responsible Local Government—We also support and encourage decisions made by

individual County Commissions—such as the recent actions in Hillsborough, Sarasota, Broward

and Miami-Dade Counties—to debate and implement self-imposed revenue or spending caps.

This is the essence of “home rule” —local government, not Tallahassee, knows best what local

citizens want and is in the best position to make such decisions.

Use The Existing System For Change—While recognizing our citizens need property tax

relief, we believe any major statewide changes to the property tax system should be considered

by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission—not rushed to voters as a special election

ballot. The Tax and Budget Reform Commission was approved by Florida voters and created in

the state constitution to do a comprehensive review of our state’s tax and budget policies. A

special election would preempt the work of this commission.

# # #

Thank you for your time today. I’d like to spend a few minutes discussing a

current property tax system.

I am sure you’re reading the headlines coming out of Tallahassee every

day on various proposals to reform our property tax system. And believe

me, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t speak to someone in our

community about the unfairness and inequity in our current system.

The outcome of the debate this summer in the state Legislature will have a

direct impact on you and your family and on the ability of your county

government to provide crucial programs and services in our community.

With that in mind, I’d like to share with you the perspective of our county—

and the 66 other county governments across the state—on the property tax

reform proposals being debated by our state lawmakers.

Fundamentally, there are three things I’d like you to know:

relief—but not by creating a second crisis through forcing cuts in

essential county programs and services that you and your neighbors

depend on.

citizens and are spending property tax dollars responsibly. And REAL

programs you use and support will likely be reduced and or eliminated

all together if politicians in Tallahassee have their way.

owners, and are an important part of any solution that is forged in

Tallahassee. And, counties have offered alternative solutions to ease

the property tax burden on businesses and non-homesteaders.

While it was well-intentioned, there’s no doubt that the 1992 Save Our

Homes amendment has resulted in severe consequences over time:

It has shifted a disproportionate share of the tax burden to businesses

and renters, “locked” people into their current homes, and created vast

discrepancies in the tax bills of similarly-valued homes.

So, what do Florida’s 67 counties—collectively working together as the

Florida Association of Counties—support? We support carefully weighed,

responsible solutions that improve equity and fairness among taxpayers.

Simply put, we believe that citizens in similar circumstances should pay

similar property tax bills.

Florida’s counties do not support hasty, “political sound-bite” solutions from

the state that further erode local control and that will only worsen this

situation.

Please understand, proposals currently being debated in the Legislature

would spark a second crisis by eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars—

even billions—of funding for programs and services you and other citizens

use every day.

For example:

$50,000 would eliminate more than $600 million from county budgets

statewide. (insert local content)

rates on July 1 would cut $3.6 billion in county taxes statewide, and

could only be overruled in individual counties by a unanimous vote

of the County Commission. (insert local content)

Understand that, as political subdivisions of the state, Florida’s counties are

required to provide basic services in our communities. In the area of public

safety, we must provide sheriffs, jails and building inspectors. In the area of

public welfare, we must provide medical help for the needy, affordable

housing and environmental protection. And in the area of transportation,

we must pay for county road construction and drainage projects.

In recent years, state leaders have added to counties’ fiscal burden by

mandating they help pay for programs, or pick up the entire tab. For

example counties have paid an increasing share of Medicaid costs, for

state juvenile justice programs and to cover the health costs of the

uninsured.

There are, of course, myriad other programs and services that counties

provide that enhance quality of life for our citizens.

And we should not overlook the financial impact of hurricanes, tornadoes

and other storms on our counties – the outcome of which can not be

budgeted for.

But some of the property tax reform proposals being debated in

Tallahassee would seriously threaten our ability to continue some of these

essential programs. Ask yourself – which of these programs can our county

do without?

Understand, counties have listened to the will of the people as property

values and tax collections rose in recent years. In 2006, two-thirds of the

state’s 67 county’s reduced their millage rates, resulting in more than a half

billion dollars in savings to local taxpayers. And in 2005, nearly half of the

counties reduced millage rates, resulting in savings of $185 million for

taxpayers. (insert local content)

In this politically-charged debate, some state leaders have tried to blame

local governments for the current pain felt by some property taxpayers.

These state officials have accused county governments of wildly spending

additional tax revenues.

That’s a disingenuous argument. Over the past five years, population

growth and inflation have alone accounted for 34 percent of additional

county spending. The rest has been dedicated to important areas such

as law enforcement and corrections, other government programs, parks,

and health and human services.

Additionally, counties have used additional revenues to bolster their

reserves to pay disaster response costs when the next hurricane hits.

And like our citizens and local businesses, counties have faced rapidly

escalating costs for things like employee health insurance, pension

obligations, fuel costs, construction and property insurance.

It is perplexing to your county commissioners that as radical proposals

have emerged in Tallahassee, state leaders have solicited little input from

counties on the real impacts of cuts on citizens back home.

But fundamentally, Florida counties provide support to all our citizens

and are an important part on any solution. And, the Florida Association

of Counties has offered alternative solutions to this problem:

we oppose any state-mandated caps on revenue or spending. Citizens

want their local governments to decide how to spend local property tax

dollars—not the state.

own limits on revenue or spending, based on what their constituents

want.

taxpayer on Tangible Personal Property Taxes for things like office

computers and other equipment.

properties, with revaluation when ownership or use of the

property changes. A lower cap would be inequitable to newcomers.

tax system should be considered by the Taxation and Budget Reform

Commission, which was approved by voters and placed in the state

constitution. Let the Commission do its work, starting this fall. A rushed

solution, hatched in the legislative session and put to special election,

could worsen our situation.

In closing, Florida’s 67 counties are working hard to provide the programs

and services our citizens want and need, and counties want a seat at the

table as reforms are being debated.

Thank you for your time. Do you have any questions?

How will property tax

reform affect you?

Brevard County would be forced to slash up to $76 million from its property

tax budget for the upcoming fiscal year if lawmakers in Tallahassee approve

property tax reform proposals.

To cut that much, dramatic and drastic program and service reductions would

have to occur in virtually every county department and office.

The Board of County Commissioners is conducting a meeting to discuss the

projected $76 million in reductions to programs and services at 5 pm on Tuesday,

May 1 at the Commission Chambers, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera.

• Contact information for your local legislators:

Sen. Bill Posey posey.bill.s24@flsenate.gov 321-690-3484

Sen. Mike Haridopolos haridopolos.mike.s26@flsenate.gov 321-752-3131

Rep. Ralph Poppell ralph.poppell@myfloridahouse.gov 321-383-5151

Rep.Thad Altman thad.altman@myfloridahouse.gov 321-752-3138

Rep. Mitch Needelman mitch.needelman@myfloridahouse.gov 321-984-4848

Rep. Bob Allen bob.allen@myfloridahouse.gov 321-449-5111

Rep. Stan Mayfield stan.mayfield@myfloridahouse.gov 772-778-5077

Your city services may also be affected by the proposed tax reform.

• Reduce hours at community &

senior centers

• Eliminate aquatics programs

• Disband 4-H youth programs

• Reduce night field and court

lighting at parks

• Eliminate school crossing guards

• Eliminate evening & weekend

bus services

• Eliminate summer camps and special programs for children

• Close animal care center

• Close dog parks

• Eliminate the literacy program

• Eliminate the mobile library

• Reduce library operation hours by 29%

• Eliminate evening & weekend library hours

• Eliminate Palm Bay library replacement

• Eliminate Mims/Scottsmoor library replacements

• Eliminate construction of Rockledge library

• Eliminate Suntree/ Viera library

additions

• Eliminate volunteer firefighter program

• Eliminate funding for Brevard Cultural Alliance

• Discontinue maintenance of roadside and drainage ditches

• Eliminate storm protection beach project

• Discontinue wildlife management and protection for scrub jays, manatees,

gopher tortoises and sea turtles

• Eliminate the derelict vessel removal program of abandoned boats in the

county waterways

• Eliminate beach renourishment projects

• Reduce emergency financial assistance to families for rent, utilities or prescriptions

• Reduce services to seniors, the homeless, and people with disabilities.

• Reduce roadway resurfacing, drainage, paving, and landscaping projects

• Reduce drainage ditch cleanings from annually to every three years

• Eliminate security services at county courthouses

• Reduce janitorial services

• Discontinue televising of Metropolitan Planning Organization, Board of

Adjustment, Local Planning Agency, and Planning & Zoning board meetings

• Postpone sewer project for Merritt Island

• Eliminate funding of 211 emergency information service for citizens

• Eliminate drug/alcohol testing program

• Reduce retiree subsidy for group health insurance

• Eliminate scheduled repairs of parking lots, beach crossovers, walkways, pavilions, roofs and park entrance signs

• Close parks that are not used frequently

• Eliminate golf course repairs and improvements

• Limit the use of athletic facilities

• Eliminate special events unless fully funded by attendance fees

• Reduce agriculture/horticulture support for lawns, gardens and farms

• Eliminate spay/neuter rebate assistance program

• Discontinue nuisance wildlife trapping program

• Eliminate animal cruelty investigation section

• Eliminate Guardian Ad Litem program

• Reduce funding for indigent access to health care, including dental and maternity programs

• Reduce funding for veterans services

• Reduce environmental code enforcement

• Reduce county ordinance code enforcement

• Discontinue installation and maintenance of channel markers

• Discontinue installation of fiber optic cable for traffic signal coordination

• Eliminate Port St John and North Merritt Island dependent special district boards for community review of zoning applications

• Eliminate mailed courtesy notices of planning and zoning hearings