Even in the middle of a hot summer, autumn still seems a long way off. But like other local governments, River City leaders are making their spending and revenue plans for the new fiscal year beginning October 1st.
DeBary City Council gave its tentative approval on July 21 for a total budget of nearly $ 32.6 million. This includes the general fund, which is approximately $ 21.3 million and is partially financed with an estimated $ 6.9 million in property taxes.
The city continues to sign contracts with other governments for public safety. DeBary will pay $ 3.6 million to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement and $ 1.93 million to Orange City for fire services.
The council also passed a proposed ad valorem surcharge of 2.9247 mills, or about $ 2.92 per $ 1,000 of taxable property value. This is the tax rate that will appear on the TRIM notices or preliminary tax notices sent out to property owners in DeBary in August. State law requires local governments and tax authorities, such as school boards and hospital districts, to adopt their provisional tax rates no later than July 31st.
The proposed rate, approved by the City Council, is a tentative amount that can be decreased but not increased before the Board of Directors makes a final decision on the budget and taxation in September.
The city’s tax rate has remained unchanged since the now decreasing financial year, but corresponds to a tax increase of 5.8 percent, as it is above the reduced rate of 2.7642 million. The reversed value is the rate that, if set, would result in property tax revenue equal to the current fiscal year without taking into account new buildings and extensions.
Still, residents of neighboring cities can be jealous of DeBary, which has the lowest tax rate of any city in Volusia County. The low levy is largely due to the presence of two private power plants in the city, one owned by FPL and the other owned by Duke Energy.
The budget for fiscal year 2021-22 comes as city officials still anticipated the impact of storm costs that arose years ago.
Much of DeBary’s general fund consists of reserves of nearly $ 7.3 million. Of this amount, $ 5.1 million is earmarked for hurricane damage and restoration should this be necessary. One reason the city has set aside such a large percentage of its reserve for storm-related expenses is because the Federal Emergency Management Agency DeBary is slow to reimburse reimbursable expenses.
“It will take about three years,” said city manager Carmen Rosamonda, noting that DeBary is still awaiting federal reimbursement for 2017 Hurricane Irma.
Of the $ 1.7 million the city spent on Irma, DeBary is waiting for a final payment of $ 165,000.
“We verbally agreed that the final payment would be approved,” wrote Shari Simmans, director of public information for DeBary, in response to a request from The Beacon.
The city council has also tentatively approved the non-ad valorem ratings, which are annual fees for services or projects. These assessments appear on the property tax assessments and are to be paid together with the property tax.
DeBary homeowners pay $ 220, the same rate that applies for fiscal 2020-21, for solid waste collection and disposal.
Homeowners get relief from their rainwater charges. The annual rainwater rating for the average home will drop from $ 192 to $ 170. Vacant residential owners will be billed $ 85, down from $ 96.
DeBary has 38 street light districts with annual fees ranging from $ 27 to $ 300. These also appear on the property tax assessments.
Orlandia Heights property owners are required to pay $ 300 each for their neighborhood improvement neighborhood. The fees apply to approximately 300 households. The payments include road improvements.
Finally, but not least, 64 homeowners in a special-appraisal district along Fort Florida Road are being billed $ 1,112.53 for plumbing installed seven years ago. This will be the final year that affected property owners will be billed for the cost of capital of the seven year project.