Newberry City Commission adopts 5.9000 millage rate, increases utility charges

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

NEWBERRY, Fla. – At their September 9 Regular Meeting, the Newberry City Commission adopted a property tax millage rate of 5.9000, adopted the proposed City budget, passed utility rate increases, and heard a presentation about the condition of all the roads in the city and options for improving them.

Mayor Jordan Marlowe began the meeting by reminding everyone to follow the rules of decorum. He said that public comments should always be directed at the Mayor, and Commissioners always have the right to respond to any public comments. Marlowe cautioned against making slanderous/libelous public comments without any basis in fact.

City Manager Mike New introduced the recently-hired Capital Projects and Facilities Director, Joe Lovelady, who has 43 years of construction experience. Lovelady said, “I am thrilled to death to be here. This is, I believe, one of the best fits for my background and career that I have found in a little over… 40 years of being in construction… I hope to do the City proud.” 

City roadway inventory

Assistant City Manager for Utilities & Public Works Jamie Jones gave a presentation on a City Roadway Inventory that Public Works has been conducting for approximately the last five years. Jones said they classified all the roads in town as Class 3 (good condition), Class 2 (needs some work in the next 10 years), or Class 1 (needs major work or is unpaved). He said they grouped the roads inside the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) together to make it easier to apply for CRA funding. 

Jones said there are 48,075 feet (roughly 9.1 miles) of unpaved Class 1 roads that need to be paved or chip-sealed. He showed slides of unpaved roads in different parts of town. He said paving costs $1.98 million per mile and lasts 30 years, while chip sealing costs about $82,000 per mile, but it is only a 10-year solution and is not suitable for roads with heavy usage, especially big trucks. Chip-sealed roads can be damaged by standing stormwater, Jones said, and there must be some form of stormwater management in place before chip sealing can be considered.

Jones said he would like to work with Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer Dallas Lee to figure out which roads will require paving and which could be chip sealed, and then they will develop a plan with actual costs for the Commission to use when issuing bonds to pay for the entire project. Marlowe said Commissioners should meet with Jones one-on-one, and they should also prepare to have a workshop with the community to discuss road improvements.

Property tax rate

Mayor Marlowe introduced resolutions to adopt the tentative property tax millage rate and the City budget. He said the final public hearing for the millage rate and budget will take place on Monday, September 23, at 7 p.m.

New said, “I am happy to present you with a balanced budget. I am pleased to present the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible financial stewardship while making critical investments in our City’s future. This budget prioritizes infrastructure improvements and capital projects that are essential for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life for our residents. We are focused on addressing long-term needs such as road improvements; water and wastewater system upgrades; the completion of key public facilities, including a new City Hall facility; and investments in our recreational opportunities. I’m also proud to report that we have been able to make these significant investments without raising our property tax rate. Our tax rate remains among the lowest in the region, providing excellent value to our residents while supporting the infrastructure and services they rely on. Similarly, our utility rates continue to be competitive and affordable, ensuring that residents and businesses have access to high-quality services at a cost that is manageable for all.”

New said the millage rate will remain the same at 5.9000, and there will be no increases in the fire assessment fees or any other taxes. 

Dallas Lee explained that the budget was made with a millage rate of 5.9000, which is the same as the current year and lower than the maximum millage rate of 6.0000 adopted at the July 22 meeting. 5.9000 mills is 9.84% higher than the rolled-back rate of 5.3721 mills, and this millage, which is considered a tax increase, will generate more revenue for the City than the same rate last year. A millage rate of 6.000 (an increase of 11.69% over the rolled-back rate) would have generated an additional $80,000 for the City, Lee said.

Commissioner Tim Marden made a motion to accept the 5.9000 millage rate instead of the previously-adopted 6.0000 maximum rate, and Commissioner Rick Coleman seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0, with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth absent throughout the meeting.

A separate motion was required to adopt the modified millage rate. Coleman made a motion to adopt the 5.9000 millage rate on first reading, and Commissioner Tony Mazon seconded the motion. It passed 4-0.

Budget

Attorney Scott Walker read the resolution to adopt the proposed City budget on first reading, which was already discussed as part of the millage rate presentation. Marden made a motion to adopt the proposed budget, and Commissioner Mark Clark seconded the motion. It passed 4-0.

Utility rates

Commissioners voted 4-0 to accept some utility rate increases on first readings. Residential electric rates will increase by 1.5%, and non-residential rates will increase similarly. Residential wastewater rates will increase by 9.5% for consumption charges and customer charges. Water rates for all customers will increase by 6.0% for consumption and customer charges. The typical residential customer will see their bill increase by $1.81 for electric, $6.80 for wastewater, and $2.07 for water.

Fire assessment fees

Lee said staff proposed not making any changes to fire assessment fees except for slightly lowering the Institutional-category rate. The fee is $200 for residences, and it is based on square-footage for non-residential categories. Clark made a motion to accept the proposed fire assessment rates. Coleman seconded the motion, and it passed 4-0.

Public comment

During final public comment, developer Tripp Norfleet spoke in support of the Newberry charter school: “I’m for the charter school. I think it’s a great thing… Most of the people I talk to in Newberry are for it or for the charter school… I just think our Newberry kids could be managed by the people in Newberry.”