Rescue station delayed, $785M budget balanced

An emergency rescue substation that would improve some of the worst response times in Fort Lauderdale will be delayed another year, after commissioners cut it to balance the budget. A tougherthan-usual budget process ended Wednesday night, with no increase in the property tax rate, and a reduction on how much will be siphoned out of the water-sewer fund.

That meant campaign promises were met, but not without some angst.

Scouring the budget for $5.1 million that had to be cut, commissioners opted to delay several capital projects, including an EMS substation to serve the near-downtown area, a crosswalk and street lights on busy Las Olas Boulevard, downtown “wayfinding” signs, money to beautify medians, and money to remodel City Hall’s seventh floor, where the city attorney and city manager offices are.

Next year, commissioners will have to cut twice as much — $10 million — to continue a four-year weaning off the water-sewer fund.

Jackie Scott, a former emergency room critical care nurse, said the emergency substation should be a top priority to serve residents downtown, “where you’ve built all this density, where we can get to them, to save their lives.”

She questioned why the city insists on keeping the tax rate the same for 12 years now. “You’re going to have to do it next budget,” Scott said of raising the rate. “To me, it’s just, it’s not even political, it’s good business sense to invest in our city.”

Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who lives in the Rio Vista neighborhood south of the river and east of U.S. 1, said data from the fire chief showed that response times are longer than eight minutes around downtown — one of the worst response times in Fort Lauderdale. He asked that city staff start looking for land for the station and start designing it, even though the $3 million funding was removed. He was the lone vote against the five-year capital projects plan that was the subject of the cuts. The neighborhoods near downtown have waited for years for a solution to the lengthy response times.

Mayor Dean Trantalis agreed the station is needed. “And I’d personally like to see those multiplied throughout the city,” he said. “We need to see the response times reduced to under four minutes.”

Fort Lauderdale found itself at a crossroads this budget season, disagreeing with City Manager Lee Feldman, who recommended a tax rate increase. He said there wasn’t $5 million in fat in the budget, which mostly goes toward payroll.

Commissioners learned this week that Feldman ap-

plied for the city manager post in Tallahassee and was one of three finalists. He said if he gets the job, he’ll give 60 days’ notice.

The total budget approved Wednesday is $785 million. The general fund, with general services like police, fire and parks, is $358.8 million. The budget passed unanimously.

Though the property tax rate stays the same, it’s still a tax increase under the state’s definitions and will result in increased property tax bills citywide. It will bring in $10.4 million more revenue because property values rose 6.34 percent, not counting the addition of new buildings to the tax roll. The rate, about $412 for every $100,000 of taxable property value, hasn’t been lower since 1986.

Commissioners also agreed to increase stormwater rates, used for drainage, by $2 a month for single-family homeowners. Commissioner Robert McKinzie voted no. The city’s water-sewer rates will increase 5 percent, and the impact for a household using 5,000 gallons a month will be $3.16 a month. The $256 annual fire fee will not change.

Sanitation rates will go up 3 percent, or about 95 cents a month for residential

customers.