Port Saint Lucie – Friday July 1, 2022: For the seventh consecutive year Port Saint Lucie City Manager Russ Blackburn has recommended a lower property tax rate in his budget for the next fiscal year.
The proposed budget recommends reducing the City’s overall tax rate by 0.2000 mills from this year’s rate, bringing the total tax rate to 5.4000 for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The mileage rate is the tax rate per $1,000 of taxable property value.
Overall, the budget proposes $728.4 million in spending for the fiscal year that begins October 1. This represents an increase of 19.3% over the current fiscal year.
The final budget will be adopted in September after two public hearings on September 12 and 26.
City Council will consider the budget at the Summer Budget Workshop which will be broadcast live on the city’s website and on Channel 20 on Comcast and Blue Stream Fiber and Channel 99 on U-Verse.
Other Budget Highlights
• $31.8 million upgrades to Westport processing plant upgrades
• $10 million to continue roadway improvements on Floresta Drive
• $8.6 million for the new police training center
• $4.5 million for the construction of fiber infrastructure
• $1.1 million to equip three new parks (Tradition Regional, Riverland Paseo and Pioneer at the Port)
The City Manager’s full proposed budget and Budget in Brief can be viewed at www.cityofpsl.com/budget.
“We believe this budget should equip the City for current and future growth. This budget provides the resources and tools necessary to effectively meet the needs of our residents and advance the City’s long-term strategic priorities,” said Mr. Blackburn. “I am confident that we have crafted a conservative, reasonable and responsible budget for the 2022-23 financial year.”
“The budget supports the City’s strategic goal of being a high performing government organization and its initiative to reduce the City’s tax rate while ensuring a balanced budget that continues to provide excellent service to City residents” , says the press release of the City.
Port St. Lucie’s population is now over 217,000.
Solid Waste Credit for Bad Service
Additionally, as requested by the city council, Blackburn’s budget recommends a one-time credit on the next solid waste assessment “to relieve Waste Pro’s extremely poor service,” according to a city press release.
When the solid waste management contract was awarded to the city’s new carrier, FCC Environmental Services Florida, the annual rate originally offered was $423.36. After further review of the budget, the City Manager was able to offer a discounted rate of $416.21. The new annual solid waste assessment fee will support the new automated solid waste hauler which is expected to bring consistent and reliable service back to the City. City Council will discuss this proposal, along with the entire proposed budget, at the three-day budget workshop beginning July 20.
The proposed one-time credit of $36.76 is equivalent to approximately six weeks of solid waste management service. This would reduce the proposed annual valuation from $416.21 to $379.45 for FY 22-23 only.
