Sumter County commissioners Tuesday night approved a $313-million tentative budget that cuts the property tax rate while increasing expenditures.
Final adoption of the 2022-23 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, is scheduled for Sept. 27.
The proposed property tax rate of $5.59 per $1,000 assessed valuation is less than 1 percent below the rolled-back rate, which is the amount needed to collect the same revenue as the prior year excluding new construction. Under Florida law, setting the rate higher than the rolled-back rate is a tax increase.
Sumter County will collect about $95 million in property taxes next year.
Expenditures are about 3.2 percent higher than last year’s adopted budget of $303.4 million, a $9.7 million increase. General fund expenditures would rise 11.4 percent to $185.6 million.
A $1-million expenditure for school resource officers along with funds for a supervisor of elections building were added since the proposed budget was unveiled in July, according to County Administrator Bradley Arnold.
The county also allocated $25 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds in next year’s budget.
Those funds will be used for municipal sewer studies and projects at Lake Panasoffkee and Coleman as well as water line improvements along county roads 475 and 44A . They also will pay for a contract with Charter Communications to expand broadband service.
Hiring 36 firefighter-paramedics or emergency medical technicians is a major step toward the transfer of ambulance services to the county’s two fire departments. The budget also calls for hiring two EMS division chiefs, an assistant employee services manager, three lieutenants and 10 part-time firefighter-paramedics.
A referendum on establishing an independent fire district for The Villages is on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Sumter County would provide fire and ambulance services for the rest of the county.
Eleven 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.
The budget would offer a 5.9 percent cost-of-living increase to cover raises for county employees.