St. Johns River Water Management District

News Release

nr09-067

District Board maintains tax rate for third consecutive year

PALATKA, Fla., Sept. 22, 2009 - The St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board adopted its fiscal year 2009-2010 budget today, maintaining the same tax rate of 0.4158 mills for the third year in a row.

Under a 0.4158 millage rate - 41.58 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value - the owner of a $200,000 house would pay $62.37 per year in property taxes to the District in the budget year that begins Oct. 1.

The District's total budget for FY 2009-2010 is $279.28 million, which is $87.03 million - or 23.8 percent - less than the current year's amended budget. The decrease is attributed to reductions in property tax revenues and in local, state and federal funding, resulting in reduced expenditures in most District programs.

"By implementing various cost-cutting measures and using available fund balances, the budget is in balance and all expenditures are fully supported with reduced revenues," says Governing Board Chairwoman Susan N. Hughes of Jacksonville. "We will be able to fund a few major projects and initiatives by reducing our administrative and operational expenses. This budget reflects sufficient financial resources available to meet the District's core mission and major initiatives, such as the St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study and increasing water conservation, while maintaining our level of services."

Highlights of the budget approved today include:

• The FY 2009-2010 millage rate of 0.4158 is 11.5 percent less than the rolled back rate of 0.4698 and is 17.1 percent less than the maximum allowable millage rate of 0.5013.
• Ad valorem revenues total $123 million, which represents a 10 percent reduction from the FY 2008-2009 adopted budget.
• State revenue sources total $79.55 million, which is 46.1 percent, or $68.04 million, less than the FY 2008-2009 Amended Budget. Changes in state revenues include:
  • New Florida Forever Trust Fund appropriations to support land acquisition, water resource development and surface water restoration projects (a $22.5 million revenue reduction).
  • The District's appropriation from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund is limited to its annual debt service obligation (an $8.35 million revenue reduction).
• A $28.79 million reduction in the land acquisition program due to no new state funding from the Florida Forever Trust Fund.
• A 67.5 percent decrease in spending for water resource development because several Florida Forever funded projects are nearing completion.
• $47.63 million to continue alternative water supply cooperative funding projects, funded with prior years' state appropriations and District matching funds.
• $9.82 million for the Water Conservation and Demand Management Program, which includes $5 million for cooperative funding projects and $2 million for the District's annual Water Conservation Public Awareness Campaign.
• Major projects and initiatives included in the budget are the:
  • St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study
  • Three Forks Marsh Conservation Area project in the Upper St. Johns River Basin
  • Lake Apopka North Shore Restoration Area project
  • Canal 1 Rediversion project in the Indian River Lagoon Basin
  • Fellsmere Water Management Area project in the Indian River Lagoon Basin
  • Ligodium and willow control acceleration project in the Invasive Plant Management program

The District is responsible for regulating water use and protecting wetlands, waterways and drinking water supplies in all or part of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Putnam, St. Johns, Seminole and Volusia counties.

- END -