New Smyrna Beach to Consider Property Taxes, Budget Requests

It’s budget season for the New Smyrna Beach City Commission. With that, the Commission is set to make several key decisions about the budget for the next fiscal year, including deciding their maximum property tax rate. That’ll be up for consideration at the Tuesday City Commission meeting, as will a slate of 42 unfunded budget requests from different city departments. These requests range from the relatively inexpensive – just $17,000 for a utility cart – to the ambitious, such as a $2.7 million street light investment. The City Commissioners will be tasked with prioritizing the financial needs of the city, and how much they’ll ask residents to subsidize these initiatives with their property taxes. With budget season underway, City Commissioners will have to decide what makes different items a priority to them. “I look at the community, what’s best for the entire community,” said Zone 2 Commissioner Lisa Martin. “That’s my number one priority, what’s best for the safety and quality of life of the community as a whole.” As for property taxes, residential properties make up the vast majority of taxable value within New Smyrna Beach. According to the Volusia County Property Appraiser, 83.59% of the city’s taxable property value is residential, compared to 10.01% commercial, 3.00% vacant, and less than one percent each for agricultural, institutional, industrial, and miscellaneous. The city’s finance department is recommending a slight increase in property taxes, from the FY 2023/24 rate of 4.7040 to a FY 2024/25 rate of 4.7284. It would represent an increase of 0.52%, which combined with appreciating property values could lead to residents paying more on their property tax bill. “Doing this is a big hit,” Martin continued, “but I also have to be aware of the welfare of those people. How do you balance adding more money for police versus hitting somebody’s ability to pay a mortgage? You choose.” The unfunded requests being considered are as follows, sorted by department. All costs are estimated. Maintenance Operations GIS Analyst Position – $77,935 Three Foreman Positions – $215,103 Bathroom Doors Clancy, & Esther – $35,000 Streetlights on Canal & Atlantic – $2,700,000 Three F-150 Trucks or similar – $141,000 Roof Replacement Plan – $100,000 Two Zero Turn Mowers – $30,000 Stake Bed Truck – $86,000 Two Cargo Trailers – $36,000 Jackhammer Attachment – $60,000 Leisure Services 4-Passenger Utility Cart – $17,000 Ford Maverick or similar – $42,000 Sport Complex Playground – $325,000 Detwiler Park Pavilion – $80,000 ABI Force Sand Rake – $48,000 Kubota Utility Cart – $17,000 30″ Scissor Lift – $28,000 Add Batting Cages – $20,000 Special Projects/Marketing Position – $76,504 Admin Specialist I – $57,784 Golf Course Two Tee Mowers – $134,000 Greens Roller – $29,000 1-Ton Truck with Dump Bed – $85,000 Police Department Four Corporal Officers – $410,676 Four Patrol Vehicles – $288,000 Five Unmarked Vehicles – $260,000 Two Motorcycles – $100,000 License Plate Reader – $150,000 Fire Department Generator at Fire Station #53 – $250,000 Training Materials – $25,000 Business & Economic Development Admin Assistant – $68,790 Position Request Increases Police Department Deputy Chief – $130,023 to $136,335 Captain – $102,684 to $117,426 Captain – $106,751 to $117,426 Business & Economic Development Director – $102,132 to $124,007 City Manager Reclass Capital Improvement Projects & Grants to Project Manager & Grants – $54,163 to $62,700 Finance Assistant Finance Director – $92,700 to $100,255 Purchasing Agent – $67,309 to $72,795 Human Resources Director – $116,699 to $130,056 Leisure Services Director – $106,090 to $122,493 Maintenance Operations Director – $112,981 to $128,469 Main Ops Coordinator – $49,853 to $53,917