Manatee County budget on the incline

For the first time in a decade, Manatee County Government is positioned to fund its operational budget without dipping into reserves accumulated during the housing boom from 2003 to 2005.

A preliminary budget presented by Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker May 30 proposes a $568 million net budget that includes 10 additional law enforcement officers and two community paramedics.

“It has been more than a decade since we’ve seen this type of growth in the tax base,” Hunzeker said, adding county commissioners should use those extra revenues — more than $40 million — to set priorities for the county’s future needs.

Hunzeker said the county will need to replace aging infrastructure, find solutions for healthcare needs and incentivize affordable housing, among other potential priorities.

The budget also takes into account a state proposal to increase, by an additional $25,000, the homestead property tax, which would go into affect in fiscal year 2020 if approved by voters in 2018. Hunzeker recommended assuming voters will approve the change and keeping recurring expenses lower than revenue increases to keep 2020 budgetary impacts limited.

Budget workshops run June through August with the budget adoption in September.