A proposed Sumter County 2022-23 budget would provide staffing for ambulances and cut the property tax rate while increasing general fund expenditures.
Commissioners are expected to take their first look at the proposed $310-million budget Tuesday morning. Final adoption is scheduled in late September after two public hearings. The 2022-23 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The proposed budget was outlined in a letter to County Chairman Craig Estep from County Administrator Bradley Arnold.
Four commissioner seats are up for election in the Aug. 23 primary, but this year the budget may not be the same hot-button issue it was in 2020 when a 25 percent tax-rate increase the prior year led to the ouster of three incumbent commissioners.
In the proposed budget, the property tax rate would be $5.59 per $1,000 assessed valuation, the same rate as in 2016 and a 9 percent decrease from last year’s rate of $6.15. The rate would be set at the rolled-back rate, which is the amount needed to collect the same revenue as the previous year. Setting the rate higher than the rolled-back rate is a tax increase.
Total spending of about $310 million is up 2.2 percent from last year’s adopted budget of $303 million. General fund expenditures would rise 8.1 percent to $180.1 million.
Property taxes are one of 76 revenue sources for the county. Others include local option sales taxes, inter-governmental transfers, charges for services and fire assessment fees.
Hiring 36 firefighter-paramedics or emergency medical technicians is a major driver of increased spending.
The new positions are needed as the county begins a transition on Oct. 1 to county-staffed ambulances from those provided by American Medical Response (AMR), a nationwide private company that operated the service for a decade. Commissioners voted last year to transfer to county staffing after long delays were reported for AMR ambulances.
The budget also calls for hiring two EMS division chiefs, an assistant employee services manager, three lieutenants and 10 part-time firefighter-paramedics.
Eleven new positions would be added to the sheriff’s office for a total of 377 employees. The tax collector would add four positions for a total of 38.
A 5.9 percent cost-of-living increase would be provided to cover raises for county employees.
Rapid growth especially in the Villages of Southern Oaks and rental housing projects provides new property tax revenue that helps keep the rate down. Last year, the county had 20,141 building permits and added 3,882 single-family homes.
Business parks such as the Gov. Rick Scott Industrial Park and industrial areas such as the area near Interstate 75 and State Road 44 also continue to grow with new and expanding businesses.
