FELLSMERE — Property owners in the City of Fellsmere will find their city’s portion of the tax bill the same as last year after the Fellsmere City Council Thursday night unanimously approved the tax rate.
The rate – 5.5309 – is less than last year’s rate of 5.6190, but given the 4 percent increase in property values, the rate will bring in the same revenue to the City.
The Council also unanimously approved its nearly $11 million general budget, which includes funds for a matching grant to fund a police officer and funds for a part time Public Works employee.
Prior to passing the millage rate and budget, the Council heard from representatives of the Gehring Group, which handles finding insurance plans for the City. The City, Council learned, would see only a 0.9 percent increase in its premiums. Most cities were told to brace for double-digit increases.
The City would also see a 28 percent drop in its dental insurance premiums and increases to its benefits, according to the Gehring Group, which also told the Council that the City is seeing only a 3 to 4 percent increase in fees due to the Affordable Health Care Act.
City Manager Jason Nunemaker also shared with the Council that the City was recently awarded a $200,000 grant it had applied for that will help complete the Greenway rails-to-trails project. The funds will be used to construct a bridge over the Park Lateral Canal, perform work on a replica Historic Train Station, and provide dirt for building up the trail and a resulting water retention lake.
The trail portion, lake and train station will all be located where Broadway dead-ends, between Babcock and Cypress.