infoTECH News

[September 27, 2009]

Doral's OK's budget, including laptops for police, new position: Part of Doral's approved spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year includes laptop computers for police and a position to help verify addresses at city schools. [The Miami Herald]

(Miami Herald (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 27--The Doral City Council approved the city's 2009-10 budget Tuesday, making some changes and keeping the tax rate the same.

Going into this budget season, the city faced a 9.53 percent reduction in property tax revenue from last year coupled with a drop in other revenues, forcing Doral officials to make cuts to make up for the nearly $2.6 million shortfall.

But with nearly $38 million in the bank, the city was financially sound enough that officials only had to make minor changes.

"In a difficult year, we didn't raise taxes and we have enough to deal with some of our future infrastructure deficits -- a new police station, parks," Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez said. "It's proven we've done a good job of handling the taxpayers' dollars." At the approved rate of 2.447 per every $1,000 of assessed property value, a Doral homeowner resident with the average $224,000 home, and the standard $50,000 homestead exemption, would pay $425 in municipal property taxes.

Those figures do not include state or school district taxes among other charges that appear on a tax bill.

After approving the tax rate, council members focused mostly on budget items they had flagged for discussion during one of four previous budget meetings.

Among the most debated: car allowances for the finance and human resources director, a proposed assistant finance director position and the rising cost of legal services.

"If one director gets a car allowance, all directors get a car allowance," Councilman Robert VanName said.

Councilman Pete Cabrera and Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz disagreed.

"If it's for purposes of making everything equal why aren't we going in the other direction and reducing all car allowances?" she said.

The council voted 2-3 against granting the human resources director the $5,200 car allowance, but voted 3-2 for the finance director, who according to the city manager had been promised the allowance when hired.

The swing vote: Vice Mayor Michael DiPietro.

Council members also debated whether to accept Finance Director Eliza Rassi's request to hire an assistant finance director position with a maximum salary of $85,000.

"We do need somebody who understands the system if Eliza were to choose to leave," DiPietro said.

Cabrera and Ruiz questioned the salary amount, but Rassi and City Manager Yvonne Soler-McKinley insisted it was actually quite low for the profession.

All but Cabrera signed off on the position.

When it came to the attorney's budget, Ruiz questioned why the fees had been budgeted at $525,000 for the new fiscal year, when they always come in between the $300,000 and $400,000 range.

Soler-McKinley told council members that was only as a precaution, reminding them "we only spend what we need to spend." The council voted 3-2 to leave the attorney's budget as is.

Part of the city's $51.9 million spending plan also includes: 10 new laptops for police cars, six clerical positions for the police department, a $33,640 position to work with the school district in verifying addresses of children attending the growing Doral area schools.

To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Miami Herald Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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