Budget Talks Reveal Steady Tax Rate Plans

Marco Island City Council reviewed its major capital improvement projects planned for next year’s budget on Monday, June 16, revealing their plan to maintain the current tax rate.  

Though Council has yet to vote on it, the millage rate proposed at this time is 1.24 mils, which equates to $124 per $100,000 of property value.  

If Council does approve the 1.24 current millage rate rather than the rollback rate approved for several years in a row, an additional $2 million will be generated above last year, said City Councilman Stephen Gray.  

That’s about $29 million, Gray outlined.  

The rollback rate is the rate at which Council would bring in the same amount of money in the upcoming budget year as in the previous budget year, given increased total assessed property values.  

Council’s next step in the budget process is a workshop to review operating expenses at an upcoming meeting scheduled for 1:00 PM on July 21 in the Community Room.  

Capital Improvement Projects Outlined 

Capital improvements include approximately $1.6 million in requests, according to the report presented by Guillermo Polanco, director of the finance department, and each department head during the meeting. 

“The proposed initiatives add up to $1.4 million for the general fund and $200,000 for the water and sewer side.  

Most of the planned projects are covered by the proposed millage rate. There are some projects requested by staff that are unfunded by this planned millage, Polanco said. These projects are estimated to cost $200,00. Polanco suggested that they be covered by reserves. 

Reserves are approximately $7 million, with $1 million set aside each year.  

Among the most significant capital projects in cost and scope are:  

Median landscape restoration, particularly along Collier Boulevard, at a cost of $500,000. 

Mackle Park tot lot basketball court resurfacing, bollard replacement, and pavilion replacement at $233,000 combined. 

Winterberry Beach access at a cost of $430,000. 

One of several items unfunded by the millage rate in the presentation are Mackle Park blinds at a cost of $27,000.  

The water and sewer fund also includes replacement of a generator at the North Water Treatment Plant and a source water improvement project, each at $100,000.  

Fire Rescue capital improvement plans include $2.2 million to replace a ladder truck with a new lease that has an annual cost for 12 years of $265,585 per year.  

A fire engine replacement is also on the capital improvement plan at a cost of $1.2 million, paid over a 10-year lease.  

A medication safe costs nearly $60,000 to store controlled substances.  

Among the $1.3 million in Public Works infrastructure projects are design and construction of bike lanes and shared paths at approximately $314,000; traffic sign and pedestrian safety improvements at a cost of $1 million; and streetlights for $50,000.  

Longer term and future unfunded and partially funded capital projects include most significantly $30 million in waterways dredging.  

Partially funded projects include the Caxambas Court bridge replacement with $7.25 million of the $11 million cost unfunded, and tidal flushing canal interconnects, of which $3 million of the $5 million cost is unfunded, according to the report.  

Projects currently without planned funding sources include Collier Boulevard and Elkcam Circle intersection improvements at a cost of $5 million; median landscape restoration along South Barfield at a cost of $300,000; bike lanes along Bald Eagle Drive with $500,000 needed to cover a shortfall from a grant, all outlined in the net budget year’s capital improvement plan. 

Police capital improvements include a $38,000 motorcycle as well as radios, radars, and lasers with a combined $140,000 expense.  

Links from Monday’s budget workshop agenda on MarcoIsland.com allow a review of the full capital improvement plan proposal for FY 2026.