St. Augustine Record utterly failed its readers by not covering this St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting, either by attending or watching video.
Yes, reporters are entitled to vacations and time off. They deserve unions and collective bargaining, too. How many Florida newspapers have free democratic trade unions for employees? Not one?
Pitiful.
Record editors need to be more attentive.
Do your jobs, dammit.
When St. Augustine Beach Commissioners worked to halt staff demands for tax increase,
Record was AWOL. Only readers of this blog learned what happened Monday, on Monday.
Click here.
Quoting maladroit, mendacious City Manager MAX ROYLE in 189 words is no substitute for covering one of of the best meetings of the year. Pitiful.
Kudos to Commissioners, led by Maggie Kostka, for asking questions, demanding answers and expiating democracy.
Posted August 5, 2017 12:02 am
By SHELDON GARDNER sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
Proposed millage rate stays flat in St. Augustine Beach
The tentative millage rates for the next fiscal year for property owners in St. Augustine Beach are the same for now.
Beach commissioners recently supported keeping the current operating millage rate at 2.3992, which can still be changed before the budget is adopted in September, said City Manager Max Royle. The commission also supported keeping the debt millage at 0.5 mills.
Commissioners also voted earlier this week to delay or remove several proposed capital improvement projects from its agenda, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the proposed budget, Royle said.
Commissioners supported adding funding for recreation programs for youth. In addition, city officials also plan to gather more information about a possible new fee to help pay for solid waste collection in the city.
St. Johns County Commission sets tentative millage rates for 2018, with small shift toward roads
School district maps out conservative budget proposal, with little room for discretionary spending
The health insurance provider and plan for beach employees will remain the same, and insurance coverage for any commissioners still covered by the city is still set to expire on Sept. 30, Royle said.
The first of two hearings for adopting the budget will be at City Hall on Sept. 11.
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Kudos to SAB City Commissioners and concerned citizens for doing their homework and doing what budget-writers everywhere should do.
One of the best meetings of the year of any local government.
SAB Commissioners rejected an 8.7% TAX INCREASE sought by City staff, which wanted to charge me more than $405 for documents that should have been provided with putative "draft" budget.
Maladroit City staff did a poor job, showing signs of acalculia (an inability to perform mathematical functions), both on projected revenue and expenditures. City Commissioner Maggie Kostka was stellar in her analysis of budget, and all SAB Commissioners worked together to ask the tought questions, which would have been answered already if staff had written detailed budget justifications. Result: smarter budget, no tax increase.
This is what our County Commissioners, St. Augustine City Commissioners and other government agencies need to do.
Watch the video. Government working for everyone! Ask questions. Demand answers. Expect democracy. Next stop -- Sheriff David Shoar must answer questions Tuesday night, August 8, 2017 at County Commission -- he wants a 9% BUDGET INCREASE. JUST SAY NO, County Commissioners.
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Thanks to Commissioner Snodgrass, et al. for adding youth programs. Citizen Tom Reynolds has raised this issue for several years. He's right. Good job everyone! Keep up the great work! Next stop, FPL's proposed electricity tax renewal for 30 years. No staff work, no alternatives. Say NO, please, SAB Commissioners.
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"Decisions are made by people who show up." -- President Jed Barlett in the clsasic NBC tv series, "The West Wing," played by Martin Sheen.
Thanks to everyone who showed up, for upping your game, for working together constructively, and for compromise.
As heroic Senator John McCain said, "Let's trust each other. Let's have regular order."
Our American Founders would be proud of all of y'all.
Ask questions. Demand answers. Expect democracy.
Keep up the good work.
Like · Reply · 46 mins · Edited
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" Beach commissioners recently supported keeping the current operating millage rate at 2.3992, " from this SAR article.
The first motion made by Commissioner Undine George was to raise the milage to 2.50. Commissioner Kostka was SHAKING HER HEAD NO ! Then a demand for Public Comment came from a Resident. Because that is FLORIDA LAW to have Public Comment on Commission Voting matters.Then Commissioner George admitted that the matter had to be opened up for Public Comment Sooooo the City s most concerned Resident spoke for 3 minutes. Commissioner George then changed the motion to keep it the same. The full St Augustine Beach Commission voted to keep the milage the same as last year. Thank you SAB Commissioners for doing the RIGHT THING !
" Commissioners supported adding funding for recreation programs for youth " quote from this SAR article.
For the first time ever in the History of St Augustine Beach (est 1959) will the City Commission be doing something for OUR CITY YOUTH ! Thank you to Commissioner Gary Snodgrass,(and Thanks to Mrs Snodgrass), St Augustine Beach will be Budgeting $40,000. towards a Recreation Program for youth and all residents.
" The health insurance provider and plan for beach employees will remain the same, " quote from this SAR article ......
The Cadillac of Health Insurance Policy s AT NO CHARGE FOR THE EMPLOYEE ! City taxpayers are paying $634.22 PER MONTH PER EMPLOYEE $ 7, 610.64 per year per employee !
This is NOT RIGHT and NO PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANY OFFERS THIS.
Plus the City is paying 70 % for the SAB Employee s spouse. The total cost to City taxpayers for both is $1,095.93 per employee PER MONTH !
$13,151.16 PER YEAR PER EMPLOYEE ! CRAZY ON STEROIDS ! And the City Taxpayers are PAYING !
For a full family, the cost to the City TAX PAYERS IS $1,548.76 PER MONTH !
$18,585.12 per employee with family a YEAR ! WOW ........
........ $576,321.48 total for employees Health Insurance paid by Taxpayers ! ...
AND DO NOT FORGET TO ADD ON THE HUGE SALARIES PLUS THE RETIREMENTS THAT ARE BEING PAID BY CITY TAXPAYERS !
St Augustine Beach Employees have the BEST INSURANCE IN NORTH FLORIDA !
Along with SUPER FAT PAY and RETIRMENTS in a City that is 1.87 square miles with about 49 employees !
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