Hallandale Beach holds line on tax rate, fire fee

HALLANDALE BEACH Homeowners will pay the same $198 fire fee and tax rate under a $70 million budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Under Hallandale’s proposed budget, homeowners would pay $580 for every $100,000 in taxable value, which includes money earmarked for a $58.5 million parks bond approved in 2014.

Most residents will see higher tax bills next year because of a 6 percent increase in property values throughout Hallandale Beach.

The city portion of the tax bill is about one-fourth of the total. The county, hospital district, school board and other government entities make up the rest.

Over the past five years, Hallandale Beach has used $31 million in rainy day funds to balance the budget, Assistant City Manager Greg Chavarria said. Last year, City Hall used $4.5 million in emergency reserves to make up for increases in salaries and health insurance costs.

“Now we’re down to $14.9 million in reserves,” Chavarria said.

That trend needed to change, he said.

City Manager Roger Carlton, who came onboard early this year, balanced the budget without dipping into reserves.

To do so, Hallandale may sell a city-owned car storage lot and lease surveillance cameras instead of buying them. Two positions were eliminated to save $150,000: a public relations specialist and a secretary in Human Resources.

Hallandale Beach officials are worried about a 2018 statewide ballot question that would exempt another $25,000 in home value from taxation for permanent residences with a homestead exemption.

If it passes, it would leave Hallandale with a $464,000 deficit the following year, Chavarria said.

Hallandale Beach will hold budget workshops on Aug. 29 and 30. Both meetings start at 11 a.m.

Commissioners will give final approval to the budget during hearings on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. and Sept. 25 at 5:05 p.m.