Cazual Conversation

Something is in the air, and here’s hoping our elected officials smell it in time.

It’s not fall, though we are glad to feel a taste of that this week. It’s the wafting scent of disbelief as two cities talk about raising their millage rates as we watch our economy collapse around us on the local, state and national level.

Lynn Haven only slightly raised its millage rate, from 2.82 mills to 3.08 mills, but made up for that with a 4-percent hike in garbage rates to match the 4-percent increase approved a month ago for water and sewer rates.

Lynn Haven residents are used to having one of the highest overall millage rates of any place in the county, and often wonder exactly what they get in return for that honor. As a former resident there, I had the same concern and was never particularly appeased with the city’s explanations.

Rate and millage hikes there without obvious needs are more the norm, and less likely to raise eyebrows from weary taxpayers.

Panama City has gotten a lot of credit in this corner for being, as government goes, pretty good stewards of our tax dollars. They had lots of money to spend when times were flush, and while one could argue we don’t need all the amenities the city provies, one could also argue we have a lot of nice things to show for it. We have a nice parks system, clean marinas, effecient and professional police and fire departments, and a sense of order.

That made the commission’s near departure from its usual fiscal responsibility at its last meeting even more surprising.

No one is flush, now, few are making more money than they were last year and times are tight.

That did not deter two voting members of the Commission - Mayor Scott Clemons and Commissioner Jonathan Wilson - from pushing for an even higher millage rate.

The city already voted 4-0 that day to move the millage rate from 3.761 mills to 3.849 mills, the “roll forward” rate. That rate, essentially, is the millage neede to raise the same amount of money as the year before, and property values declined city-wide.

Following that vote, Wilson moved to raise the millage to 4.1325 at allow for some capital project. Clemons upped that, asking for the  maximum the state allows: 4.5 mills.

Thankfully, commissioners John Pilcher and Billy Rader were opposed and, with the absence of Commissioner Kathryn Hanline, the motion died a much-needed death.

Clemons said he worried about cutting the budget “too thin,” and affecting the quality of life that makes Panama City unique.

So what was in store with the extra money to be brought in with the increased millage? Well, it appears another park and a corridor study of some sort around the old airport.

This is not the year for another park, not when it entails an increased millage rate.

And we’ll save the airport argument for another day, but suffice it to say that the new owners of the airport property who plan to build a condo/business heaven purchased the responsibility of infrastructure needs when it purchased the property, and the city doesn’t need to bail them out.

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