CRESTVIEW — Unless it changes its collective mind by its Sept. 9 budget meeting, the City Council agreed by consensus to a 1.1 mils millage rate increase and to the finalized 2015-16 budget.
Councilman JB Whitten dissented during the Thursday night budget workshop, while Council President Shannon Hayes and Councilmen Joe Blocker and Bill Cox agreed.
Councilman Mickey Rytman resigned his seat Thursday.
“It's easy when we sit here and say, 'We need this money,' to forget where it's coming from,” Whitten said. “It's coming from the citizens.”
Cox proposed the new 6.9466 mils, an increase from the current 5.8466 millage, as necessary to keeping the city on firm financial footing. It includes a 5 percent pay raise for city employees.
The budget does not include a consultant- and state-recommended increase in water and sewer rates, which have not increased since the 1990s.
The tentatively approved budget includes an $800,000 information system for the Police Department to replace a failing 2002 system that is not upgradable.
Consideration of the system generated debate between Whitten and Hayes.
“Do we need top-of-the-line to do what we need to do?” Whitten asked.
“If you want something cheap, are you going to be willing to replace it next year, and the year after that?” Hayes asked. “You get what you pay for. We paid for a system that has no upgrades and now it's almost completely useless.”
Police Chief Tony Taylor said he had evaluated multiple systems and could not find one as dependable, comprehensive and flexible as the proposed SunGard Public Sector System.
The first of two required votes on the proposed millage and budget will be Sept. 9. The budget and millage must be passed by Sept. 30 to go into effect Oct. 1.
WANT TO GO?
The Crestview City Council will hold several upcoming public meetings:
• 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3, to interview city attorney candidates
• 5:05 p.m. Sept. 9: first millage and budget approval
• 6 p.m. Sept. 14: Regular council meeting to include discussion of Confederate Park and its flag, will be held at Warriors Hall.
• Previously announced Sept. 1 and Sept. 8 meetings are cancelled.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council agrees to increased millage, budget