Facing long odds and the possibility of spending more than it could save, City Council halted its appeal of the Property Appraiser’s budget to the state.
Council members during budget reviews had concerns with Jerry Holland’s budget including about $365,000 in pay increases.
In late July, some council members pushed back on the merit pool and competitive pay adjustments, calling it an issue of fairness. Many city employees haven’t seen increases — and actually have had cuts — in the past several years, they said.
After receiving the go-ahead from council, Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration asked the Department of Revenue to adjust the Property Appraiser’s budget to reflect no increase. Instead, a compromise emerged: The state approved about $182,000 of the increase, eliminating the merit pool and keeping intact some of the competitive pay adjustments.
Council was on track to continue the appeal, but most members decided it wasn’t worth it. The resolution to pursue the appeal was defeated 17-2, with John Crescimbeni and Al Ferraro the lone two in support.
Matt Schellenberg called the pursuit “admirable” but said information from a couple of state organizations regarding similar appeals showed the success rate was almost nonexistent.
Lori Boyer afterward said as facts came in about other city departments having some forms of increase, it was a harder case to make to the state why the property appraiser couldn’t. The time and money spent might end up exceeding the savings, she said.
Compounding the issue was another bill filed late that would have spent up to $50,000 on hiring outside legal counsel to defend the property appraiser in the appeal.
Holland maintained his position of not wanting to use outside attorneys, but said the Office of General Counsel said it couldn’t represent both sides.
Despite knowing he didn’t have the necessary votes to continue, Crescimbeni said he was standing on principle with his decision.
As an emergency motion, it required two-thirds approval instead of the regular majority.
The property appraiser’s budget is distinct when it comes to city finances. In addition to the city, it’s also filed with the Florida Department of Revenue, as are other property appraiser’s offices across the state.
That filing comes before the city’s typical August dive into the city’s budget, making it more difficult to amend — especially with a new wave of elected leaders this year.
Holland said the pay increases will end up saving the city money by keeping employees rather than having turnover and the required cost to train them. In the past three years, he said the office has lost about one-third of its employees.
“What we’re trying to do is save taxpayer money,” he said. “… We’re in a rising real estate market. I need the most trained professionals there.”
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