City of Miramar Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Workshop – June 28, 2023
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City of Miramar Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Workshop – June 28, 2023
The City of Miramar Commission held a workshop on June 28, 2023, to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The meeting also included presentations on public health, a personal story of a hit-and-run victim, and fraud prevention tips. The budget workshop featured detailed reports from the City Manager, Office of Management and Budget, Stantec Consulting, and Government Services Group, followed by commission discussion and direction.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Vaccine Presentation: Rachel Garan, an infection prevention specialist, presented on COVID-19 and flu vaccines. She stated that 94% of ICU patients, 95% of ventilator patients, and 85% of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated. She urged vaccination to protect the community.
- Hit-and-Run Testimony: A woman described being struck by a hit-and-run driver on University Drive and Pembroke Road, resulting in the death of her unborn son. Officer Gonzalez testified about providing support to the family and organizing Christmas gifts, illustrating positive police-community relations.
- Fraud Prevention: A speaker outlined common scams, including fake kidnapping calls and online purchase fraud, advising residents to contact police immediately and meet in safe locations for transactions.
Discussion Items
- Budget Overview: City Manager Dr. Virgin and Budget Director Raphael presented the proposed FY24 budget of $361 million, with a general fund of $216 million (a 7% increase). The millage rate is proposed to remain at 7.1172, with no increase. The fire assessment would increase the residential fee by $80.98 per year to $479.21, generating an additional $3.8 million. Combined with property value growth (capped at 3% for homesteaded properties), the average homestead would see a $139.21 annual increase ($11.60/month).
- Sustainability Analysis: Stantec Consulting presented a five-year general fund sustainability analysis showing that with the proposed fire assessment increase, the city maintains adequate fund balances. Without the increase, deficits would appear in FY25.
- Fire Assessment Study: Sandy Newbarth of Government Services Group explained the historical demand methodology used to set fire fees. Residential calls account for 70.98% of fire service demand, driving the higher residential fee. The study recommended a buy-down for government and tax-exempt properties of $2.2 million, funded by the general fund.
- Commission Questions and Comments:
- Commissioner Chambers clarified details on tax and fire fee exemptions, including the Miramar residential hardship exemption (deadline July 31). She requested information on whether the hardship exemption should be updated to help more residents.
- Vice Mayor Davis asked for a breakdown of exemptions affecting both ad valorem taxes and fire fees. She requested data on the residential hardship program's history and potential expansion. She also inquired about stormwater fee comparisons with Pembroke Pines (which does not charge a stormwater fee).
- Commissioner Colbert expressed appreciation for the budget but noted that affordable housing challenges were not sufficiently highlighted. He requested meetings with the city manager to explore increasing the uncommitted fund balance.
- Commissioner Barnes raised concerns about increased spending on concerts and parties while residents face rent and grocery needs. He called for clearer explanations of property value impacts and advocated for checking overdevelopment.
- Mayor (Chair) asked about vehicle replacement plans by department and requested updates on sound mitigation for the amphitheater. He noted the commission's past inability to control development due to private land ownership.
Key Outcomes
- The commission did not vote on the budget but provided direction for the July 5 meeting, where they will set the maximum millage rate, fire assessment, and stormwater assessment rates.
- Public hearings for the tentative budget and final budget are scheduled for September 13 and September 27, respectively. The budget becomes effective October 1.
- The City Manager was directed to:
- Review and provide options for expanding the Miramar residential hardship fire fee exemption program.
- Prepare a detailed vehicle replacement plan by department.
- Present options for sound mitigation at the amphitheater.
- Provide data on affordable housing initiatives in the budget.
- Commissioner Colbert requested a future meeting to discuss increasing the uncommitted fund balance.
Meeting Transcript
This year is very important to get your food shot early. We are expecting that we're gonna see some COVID surge in the fall. So we will see the flu CISA coming in at around the same time. So it's more important than ever to prevent influenza because we don't want two diseases at the same time affecting patients and potentially overwhelming our hospital system. Around 40,000 people in the US die from the fuel every year. So it's very important this year to make sure people are vaccinated because it's preventable disease with a vaccine. Along with other essential things such as staying away from people that are sick, watching your hands, protecting yourself, and basically taking care of yourself, exercising every day, having a good night's sleep, and making sure that all the other diseases that you have are on your control. So if you do get the flu, it will not be so strong and send you to the hospital. Hello, my name is Rachel Garan, and my specialty is preventing infection in the hospital system by using epidemiology. We're here today to talk about the COVID-19 vaccine. By getting a COVID-19 vaccine, this is how we protect ourselves and our loved ones. Our memorial healthcare system colleagues and most importantly, our patients. We get vaccinated, so people who can't get vaccinated are able to stay safe. Those are people like babies who are not eligible yet, or people with certain medical conditions who can't get the vaccine either. We live in the best country in the entire world. That means vaccines are abundant. They're available for all of us. The evidence is clear. Vaccines work. Vaccines are currently protecting people against serious illness, against hospitalization, and against death. Right now, 94% of people in the intensive care unit are unvaccinated. 95% of all people on a ventilator are unvaccinated. And 85% of all COVID patients in the hospital right now are unvaccinated. It's normal to be scared, but millions of people have already gotten the vaccine. Our colleagues, our physicians, our pharmacists, nurses, every single department has people who've already gotten the vaccine and can talk to you. The vaccines are safe, but waiting to get the vaccine may not be safe. The virus has mutated. Now we have the Delta variant that is more transmissible and more dangerous. That's normal for viruses to do. So what we have to do is take the vaccine. The more people who get the vaccine, the more people who are protected, and we have the ability to stop the pandemic. We're tired. We're tired of masks. We're tired of worrying for our safety. We're tired of seeing the patients in the hospitals begging for the vaccine after they're sick. If we all did our part to get vaccinated, this pandemic could be over. There's a hit and run I just witnessed on University Drive and Puppet Road. A pedestrian was hit. Three count three people hurt, two children and an adult. It was my son Christopher's birthday, and we went to Walmart on our way back. We uh were at the bus stop waiting for the bus. I got my son's hand, and my daughter was next to him. I don't remember anything after that. I was on call as I was a designated primary um traffic homicide investigator. They requested my presence at University Drive and Pembroke Road in reference to a woman and her children being struck by a vehicle that went up on the sidewalk and fled the scene. Once I arrived, I was notified that unfortunately the woman that was struck was pregnant and her baby was in uh critical condition and and probably wouldn't survive. When I woke up, I just remember hearing people say the kids are okay, they're fine. You got hit by a car. I'm like, I got hit by a car. And um, they had to uh perform an emergency C section and remove my baby, which was the boy.
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