VERO BEACH — The Vero Beach City Council on Friday kept the same tax rate for the upcoming year as the current one. In spite of the rate of 2.0336 per $1,000 of assessed valuation being the same, should the council not lower the rate by the time that it officially adopts the budget in September, those with property that has been assessed higher will see a tax increase.
Indications from the Indian River County Property Appraiser’s Office are that property values in the city have increased slightly.
The council could adopt a tax rate that is lower than 2.0336, but not higher when it meets again in September to finalize the budget. Should the council decide to bring in the same amount of money as this year, the tax rate could be set at 2.014.
The setting of the tax rate Friday brought to a close a long week of daily budget workshops where council members sat at the table with various department heads and sorted out what the city was willing and not willing to pay for.
By the end of the week, it seemed all but certain that about 12 people will lose their jobs Oct. 1, when the new budget year kicks into place. Sixteen positions are vacant and will not be filled.
Pilar Turner, considered the most strident opponent of government spending on the council, suggested that the city is still bloated despite the loss of jobs. All told about 30 positions will be eliminated, 10 of which were vacant.
