By DOTTY NIST
Walton County has finalized a budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year with no millage rate increase.
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) met on Sept. 23 at the Walton County Courthouse for the second of two required budget hearings.
Melissa Thomason, Walton County finance director, presented the proposed millage rate and budget in accordance with the BCC’s preliminary approvals two weeks earlier, with the proposed countywide millage rate at 3.6363 mills, the same as for the current year, and the budget amount at $183,598,102, with $728,894 of that to go to North Walton Mosquito Control.
Thomason reported that the proposed millage rate exceeded by 5.9 percent the roll-back rate, the rate that would essentially generate the same amount of ad valorem taxes that were generated for the current fiscal year. This was due to an increase in taxable property values for the new fiscal year.
The millage rate proposed for North Walton Mosquito Control, 0.4912 mill, was the same rate as for the current fiscal year.
Tony Roy, representing the Liberty Volunteer Fire District, an independent volunteer fire district, and volunteer firefighters, was the only person coming forward at the final budget hearing to provide public comment. As he had done at the preliminary budget hearing, Roy strongly requested financial support for the volunteer fire district, support that has not been part of the proposed county budget.
Roy pointed out that the volunteer fire district provides fire protection to county facilities and also furnishes mutual aid in areas outside its independent special district. “We need help,” he said.
In response to county commission comments, Roy said Liberty Volunteer Fire District operates within the $75 assessment from properties in its special district to serve those properties. However, he indicated that without additional funding, it would likely be necessary to stop responding in mutual aid situations due to the added expense and budget constraints. Roy said the volunteer fire district does want to be able to provide mutual aid, “because it’s the right thing to do.”
Roy brought up the fact that all county property owners, including those within special fire districts serving their areas, pay into the general fund for the operation of Walton County Fire Rescue (WCFR) as part of their taxes. WCFR’s primary service area includes Freeport, Paxton, and the unincorporated area north of the bay outside the special fire districts.
District 2 Commissioner Danny Glidewell responded that he thought a substantial part of the county was being “double taxed” due to the latter situation. He was hopeful that this could be addressed in the future.
At the preliminary budget hearing, Glidewell had moved to provide $25,000 in funding each to Walton County’s two independent volunteer fire districts, Liberty and Argyle, but his motion had not been seconded. He offered to again make a motion for funding of the volunteer districts if any commissioner had changed their mind since the first hearing. There was no response.
Resolutions to set the millage rate and budget as presented were approved with all aye votes of the four commissioners present.
Also in line with BCC direction at the preliminary budget hearing, Thomason asked for approval to set the minimum wage for all permanent full-time and part-time county employees at $12 per hour, to adjust the county employee pay scale accordingly, and to make a three-percent pay raise for county employees across the board effective on Sept. 28, 2019.
These items were approved with all aye votes as well, followed by adjournment of the final budget hearing.
Detailed information on the budget is available online at https://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/37296