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Century Approves 290% Property Tax Increase During Saturday Meeting
October 10, 2023
The Century Town Council revoted twice during a Saturday meeting to approve a nearly 300% property tax increase that had previously failed, a council member accused the media of misleading the public, and the council celebrated their success in working together to get the extraordinary tax hike passed.
The town council had previously given unanimous tentative approval to a a property tax increase with a millage rate of .9204, which is 290.66% greater than the rolled-back rate of .2356 mills. The rolled back rate is a computed millage rate that would generate the same amount of ad valorem tax dollars as the prior fiscal year, based on the proposed year’s tax roll, excluding new construction. A millage rate higher than the rolled-back rate is defined by the State of Florida as a tax increase and the law says it must be advertised as such. The .9204 millage rate has been constant for several years but is defined as a tax increase because the town will collect more tax due to increased property values.
Property values in Century have increased from approximately $49.5 million to $54.5 million over the last year, according to the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office. Last year, property taxes generated $45,518 for Century; this year is expected to be $50,307.
Because the tax increase is so high, the state required unanimous approval on a final vote, but the millage rate failed on a 4-1 vote September 26 with council president Dynette Lewis dissenting. The council voted to adjourn the September 26 meeting, but the town later published a small notice of continuation in a weekly newspaper setting the Saturday morning meeting that was not attended by any member of the general public.
Town Clerk Leslie Howington told the council that the Florida Department of Revenue told her to continue the meeting, despite the fact that it was adjourned. We made a public records request and received email correspondence between Howington and the Florida Department of Revenue. An FDOR employee references the “the final hearing that was recessed on 9/26″ and instructed the notice of continuation based upon arecessed meeting. The fact that the meeting ending with an adjournment was never mentioned in the emails we received.
Howington told the council that the town attorney said Florida law did not prevent the council from revoting on the failed tax increase. She also distributed a document to the council she said was a resolution from 1984 that allows for revotes. She said the document was found “in the book”, but it was not signed, nor was there any concrete evidence that the resolution was ever approved. We received nothing in response to our public records request for the resolution.
Saturday morning, Lewis again voted against the tax increase, causing it to fail.
The town clerk and accountant then spent several minutes explaining how the town could lose about $40,000 in revenue without a change of heart from by Lewis.
“I understand what we stand to gain, and I understand what we stand to lose as well,” Lewis said. “I still do not agree with the increase where our citizens of the town of Century have to absorb the cost. I don’t agree with that year after year. I don’t agree with that, but at the same time I don’t want to hold our budget.”
“I promise you it’s like a tank of gas for me,” council member Shelisa Abraham said.
“With all due respect, that tank of gas for you is not that tank of gas for everybody,” Lewis replied.
During the discussion, council member Alicia Johnson began to blame NorthEscambia for reporting that the 290% increase was a tax increase. According to the State of Florida it is a tax increase; any increase over the rolled back rate is defined by a section of Florida laws in existence since the 1980’s called Truth in Millage, or TRIM. The town also published a required quarter page newspaper ad headed “Notice of Proposed Tax Increase” detailing the tax increase.
“It is fairly misleading to the public, and William has a lot to do with this because you perpetuate…you try to make the public think it is a 300% tax increase,” she told publisher William Reynolds. “You make it appear that the tax would be tripled.”
Reynolds pointed out that according to state law, it is a tax increase and was advertised by the town as a tax increase (pictured left).
On a second vote Saturday, the third total attempt, the council approved the tax rate on a 5-0 vote.
The council then went on to approve an $8 million budget, up more than $2 million (39%) over last year’s $5.8 million, mostly due to grant funds. The budget includes a 3% cost of living raise for all employees, raises need to bring employees up to the new Florida minimum wage, an increased cost of about $100 per basic employee for insurance and a 150% rate increase for general liability and property insurance. The town pays 99% of employee health insurance and 50% of family costs.
The budget also included an extra $15,000 for the mayor to use as “merit” raises as desired and $1,900 for Christmas hams and turkeys for employees.
All compliant capital outlay expenses will be funded from American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds.
At the time of Saturday’s meeting, NorthEscambia.com public records requests for a detailed copy of the budget were unanswered, and the tentative budget was not posted on the town’s website before the meeting as required by state law.
“I’m actually encouraged, and I’m very pleased with the spirited debate from this council to let us know we have five educated people that’s paying attention to what needs to be done in Century,” interim Mayor Lewis Gomez said near the conclusion of Saturday’s meeting. “I thank y’all for your spirited debate, and I also thank y’all for understanding that we are here as servants. And thank y’all for such a great job this morning.”
“This is a council of five, each one of us was representing our own vote, just as he said,” Lewis replied to the mayor. “We will not always agree. I appreciate the fact that even though we don’t agree sometimes, I appreciate the respect…I appreciate each person being respected in their vote.”
“I’m so grateful that we can agree to disagree and still walk out and represent the town,” council member Sandra McMurray Jackson said. “And not have animosity at all with our neighbor.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
24 Responses to “Century Approves 290% Property Tax Increase During Saturday Meeting”
It’s our own fault. We elect these crooks. We should all get together and vote for a council that doesn’t raise taxes
Let’s get Gov. Ron DeSantis up here and let them go through all the corruption this town council has done and continue doing. Show where these funds are going. Make the counsel pay these increases. I see why that one guy left he was probably the only one honest and didn’t wont nothing to do with it.
@Gary go throw a rope around that fire hydrant an pull it up then they will have no choice but to repair or replace it. And to the towns people of century watch come the first of the year all those council members will be driving brand new cars paid for by the people. That council needs to be removed and bring in new members all new members because these people are idiots
Impressive C town definitely headed to a brighter future for all who live there !!! Way 2 Go !!!
What is sad is the MAJORITY of residents do NOT pay property taxes because of the poverty level in Century. Then a lot of this falls on the ones that ACTUALLY work and then those people who do pay taxes can’t get help from the Town of Century when they need it. Maybe folks should look into some of this. Someone needs to stop the three ring circus!!!
With an increase like this, maybe the town of century will be able to finally fix a leaking, laid over fire hydrant that is not usable, in front of my 100 plus year old house. And yes it has been this way for 4 years. After talking with everybody within the Town council and in the water department on multiple occasions, nothing seems to get done. The whole time there’s a water reservoir in front of my house it does nothing but breed mosquito larvae and stagnation.
O BY THE WAY WILLIAM YOU ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB REPORTING THE NEW OF CENTURY, NO MATTER IF ONE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER LIKE IT OR NOT . THAT IS WHAT NEWS AND NEWSPAPER ARE FOR TO LET THE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AROUNG THEM !!!!!!!!!
YET , AND THE STORY KEEP’S COMING. SO WHAT NEXT ????????
Nothing wrong with trying to take care of their Employees.
Most of us would never work there and certainly not for what they pay.
Do you have to pay taxes to get a ham or turkey ?
“Well NE, the previous article you wrote about this DID make it seem like our property taxes would triple. Glad you (almost) cleared that up.”
Because they are, according to state law.
Well NE, the previous article you wrote about this DID make it seem like our property taxes would triple. Glad you (almost) cleared that up.
“Based on the numbers provided this will cost the people of Century about $6 per household more in property taxes.”
Not true. Many in Century live in substandard housing and the homestead exemption is more than enough — they pay no property taxes.
That spreads the burden disproportionally to those that do pay taxes on their home.
But hey, at least they get pay raises, $40,000 in Christmas decorations, merit pay raises for the mayor to give to his favorites, and free hams and turkeys.
Based on the numbers provided this will cost the people of Century about $6 per household more in property taxes.
I wish that these guys ran the congressional and executive branches of America’s government.
We could have the Republic of NorthWest Flordia, much sooner than we are presently on track for.
I recall from a Pensacola meeting long ago that when a local government votes to “increase” the property tax levy (and both Pensacola and Escambia County recently did it too) a special state form has to be sent to the Department of Revenue. The form I once saw listed the names of each elected official and how they voted. If the above is still how it works, and if Century refuses to make the form public so all town voters can see it, the Department of Revenue would give a copy to NorthEscambia.com. As a longer term issue, state law allows any three council members in Century to adopt an ordinance providing for the abolishment of the town to include ending the town’s extra taxes. Any three council members can vote right now to adopt such an ordinance and present it to voters during a special election conducted using the vote-by-mail method to ensure maximum voter participation. In the future, candidates could run as a team promising to let voters decide if they want to be governed by this council or Escambia County.
That’s one way to drive out the elderly and the poor. First steps of gentrification and ensuring that less people move to the town of Century. Why not utilize the industrial park or fix the place up to draw more of a population? Instead they make it more unlivable and keep buying “community centers” that go unused and fall apart. Look at the size of that abandoned building across from Century pharmacy, and that huge complex that used to be warehouses right down the street from that. Instead of raising property taxes for a dying community, let’s focus on being appealing to companies and get jobs out there, start being “for the people you represent” and stop trying to fill the coffers. The town of Century has a rich history and so much potential to be the next best place to start developing. The infrastructure is there, the town is there, the location has basically a straight shot commute to either atmore or pensacola for people to come and go to their jobs but still has that small town feel. Invest more than money into that community and it WILL grow.
If the mayor wants to give away hams and turkeys to his employees that’s fine as long as he is paying out of his pocket. But to have the tax payers pay for the hams and turkeys should be a crime. It probably is a crime like most of what goes on in this town.
Just a little increase !!! Sounds like these folks won’t be in charge of anything much longer and with an increase like this the people of the town won’t be there either !!! See if they don’t know it this is hilarious!!! Over kill and stupidity at it’s best !!!!
This is for sure one example of how the Citizens of Century would save serious money by getting the town charter revoked. The Millage in Escambia County is .6, the millage in Century is now .9. The citizens need to ask themselves what they are getting in services for the additional .9 mills.
Just wow!
The ineptness of Century just flows like water…a flash flood.
Hate it for y’all. I guess if everyone in town is okay with the government they voted for, so be it.
It doesn’t change the fact Century is a failed town and the charter should be revoked by the state.
Century is a joke at this point!
So let’s run all the taxpayers out of this miserable little town.
This town is run by drug addicts
Who was responsible for calculating the “roll-back rate”? I dont think you have to be a math major to see that the advertised roll-back rate would not generate the amount of Ad Valorem taxes generated for the 2022/23 fiscal year.
While this article doesnt give exact dollar figures on the taxable property value, when multiplying the noted property value of $54.5 million by the roll back rate of .2356 it would only generate $12,840 in revenue versus the $45,518 actually collected during the 2022/23 fiscal year.
When you calculate the estimated $54.5 million in property value by the millage rate of .8352, you would net revenue of $45,518 — which is the amount of revenue obtained in the 2022/23 fiscal year. As such, the correct roll-back rate should be in the neighborhood of .8352 — and it could easily be .8356 if the specific taxable property values was identified.
As such, there isnt a 290% increase in the tax revenue based on the millage rate. Its more in line of about a 10.2% increase in the necessary millage rate to achieve the same level of revenue as the 2022/23 fiscal year.
Its clear there is error, either in annotation of the mathematical calculation or in how the rate was actually calculated. Additionally, it doesnt appear that any of the parties involved took the time to verify the math.
If it turns out the the roll-back rate was improperly advertised, does the Council need to re-advertise and submit a new vote?
It would be funny if it didn’t hurt so many people and the civic mindedness of the
Community as a whole. Citizens should contact the Florida Attorney General’s office or consider bringing individual law
Suits.