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JWB to vote on budget, tax hike

In print: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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PINELLAS PARK — A countywide board that oversees children's services is scheduled to vote on a budget Thursday that will almost certainly increase the tax rate.

This month, members of the Juvenile Welfare Board instructed staff members to prepare two budgets. One one set the tax rate at 0.7609 mills; the other, at 0.7915 mills. The current rate is 0.734 mills. A mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Raising the property tax rate to 0.7609 mills would bring in an estimated $53.8-million in property tax revenue — about $3.3-million lower than the current budget. In this scenario, about 3,300 kids would lose some services.

Raising the rate to 0.7915 would bring in about $56-million in property taxes and make next year's budget about $1.1-million lower than the current year. About 1,000 kids would lose services.

The budget and rate selected Thursday will not become final until after two more hearings this summer. Board members are expected to set dates for those two hearings during Thursday's meeting.

The meeting, which is open to the public, begins at 8:30 a.m. at the JWB, 6698 68th Ave. N, Pinellas Park.