Tax cuts to hurt all over
Less revenue means a smaller budget for services, officials say.
By MIKE BRASSFIELD and JANET ZINK
Published June 16, 2007
TAMPA - City and county leaders, responding to the state Legislature's property tax cuts, foresee far less revenue available for things like parks, fire stations, libraries and bus service.
And that's just the initial property tax rollback. If voters approve a referendum in January creating a new "super homestead exemption, " then stay tuned for another round of deeper cuts next year.
As for Hillsborough schools, they're taking a wait-and-see stance. Even though public school budgets statewide are taking an initial $7.1-billion cut, lawmakers have vowed to make up the difference.
Some local elected officials are pleased by the cuts; others are resigned to them. At this point, they're all matter-of-fact about it.
"The new reality is less revenues to work with, not just this year but in future years, " said Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.
"There will be an impact, " added Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe. "We're not going to be building as many, if any, fire stations and libraries. That's not a threat, that's a basic budgetary reality."
The county estimates it will lose $80- to $90-million, or possibly less, out of the $815-million it expected to get in property taxes next year.
Tampa will lose $22-million out of $180-million in property taxes it would have collected.
And the county's bus agency, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, will lose $5.3- to $6-million out of its overall $50-million budget.
Here are places they're looking to squeeze the budget:
HART: It could eliminate Sunday bus service, scale back Saturday service, and cancel some lesser-used routes.
City of Tampa: At the mayor's direction, departments had already proposed cuts. With the final plan in, finance director Bonnie Wise figures the city will need to slash another $6-million.
Already, the police department has trimmed more than $7-million. The fire department cut nearly $2.7-million but hopes to make that back by charging drivers' insurance companies for services provided at car accidents.
Iorio said police and fire service will be last in line for more cuts. But parks and recreation may get hit again. The department already plans to cut about $1-million by such steps as closing swimming pools in the winter and eliminating summer reading teachers and swimming instructors.
Council member Joseph Caetano, though, believes the city has plenty of fat to trim without hurting services.
"We've got too many people in the parks department, " he said. "Through the years I've called different parks during the day when the kids are in school, and there's always someone who answers the telephone. Who are the people in the parks during the day?"
Hillsborough County: Administrators will recommend a slew of cuts to county commissioners next month.
The county will likely postpone building 10 fire stations and the expansion or construction of seven new library branches. It could delay as many as two dozen park projects and dramatically slash staffing at existing ones, according to an analysis by the county staff.
The county could cut about 200 jobs.
If Florida voters approve the new homestead exemption in January, the next wave of cuts will bite deeper, said county budget director Eric Johnson.
"We're already looking at a significant loss of the revenue that accounts for our day-to-day services, " he said. "It's even more staggering in terms of the implications if we lose another $100-million next year."
Still, Commissioner Brian Blair wishes the cuts had gone deeper.
"There's a lot of money that can be saved in local government by ending duplication and finding more efficiencies, " Blair said, "and the only way that's going to happen is if there's pressure."
Mike Brassfield can be reached at 813 226-3435 or brassfield@sptimes.com Janet Zink can be reached at (813) 226-3401.