In accordance with the Charter of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, I am pleased to submit this Budget for the fiscal year 2005/2006.
The City of Sunny Isles Beach is a vibrant and fast-growing community. Redevelopment continues at a rapid pace. We are continuing to invest in the infrastructure of the city to keep pace, and we are also improving and expanding our range of municipal services.
Thanks to the robust growth of our tax base, and our ongoing efforts to restrain spending, we are in a rare and extremely enviable tax position. We can now fund our immediate service needs, and continue our essential long-term Capital Improvement Program, and still provide residents with a significant reduction in the tax rate.
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Adopted Budget Expenditures
Adopted Budget Revenue
Piece of the Tax Dollar
Where Does Your Tax Dollar Go
Property Tax Base/Revenue
After maintaining a flat tax rate for two years, this budget provides for a 13.56 percent reduction in the tax rate. The tax rate, which previously was 3.35 per $1,000 of assessed value, will now become 2.95.
The city's total assessed value increased approximately 21 percent, going from $3,231,394,080 to $3,901,956,946. Revenue from property taxes increased by $651,323 or 6.5 percent, going from $10,283,911 to $10,935,234.
Other Revenue
The category of 'other' revenues is expected to increase by approximately $1,388,604, going from $7,651,854 to $9,040,458 based on our current projections.
Most of these increases are minor compared to our total budget. They include: (1) parking revenue, which is up approximately $150,000 due to the effort and cooperation of our new
Parking Enforcement Division, the Police Department, the Parking Attendant Program, and (2) building permit fees, which are up about $500,000 and are higher than we anticipated.
Continuing Capital Projects
We are continuing our commitment to fund our essential, long-term Capital Improvement Program. We are now well into our eight-year plan and many of our most significant projects are already yielding positive results.
Central Island Drainage
Plans are moving forward for the Central Island Drainage Project, the largest storm water drainage project in the history of our community. This project complements and follows closely on the heels of our very successful $4 million effort to improve storm water drainage in the Golden Shores section of the city. Like its predecessor project, it will include the installation of deep injector wells, a comprehensive system of drains and piping.
The Central Island Drainage Project is expected to cost approximately $6 million and affects the area bordered by 183rd Street on the north, 174th Street on the south, Collins Avenue on the east, and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west. Partial funding for this project is expected from various agencies, including the State of Florida.
Approximately $2.5 million is expected from the Miami-Dade County Building Better Communities Bond issue. The city is also carefully reviewing a number of alternatives to keep costs as low as possible. Plans were recently modified to include a pedestrian walkway and bike path. Construction should commence by the end of the year.
Collins Avenue Improvements
Collins Avenue is a state highway and we are working closely with the Florida Department of Transportation and adjoining property owners to streamline the flow of traffic and bolster the beautification of the medians. A study of the thoroughfare recommended modifying a number of median locations and turning lanes, which would help smooth the flow of traffic and enable us to keep more landscaping.
A related beautification project involves the continuation of our streetscape project. We have already installed decorative newspaper vending racks, benches, trash receptacles and cross walks. Next up are new bus shelters, which will be set back on easements hopefully obtained from private property owners to eliminate obstacles for people who are mobility-impaired.
An Improved Entry
A key part of our efforts to upgrade the appearance of Sunny Isles Beach involves improvements to Sunny Isles Boulevard, the main entry to our city. This $4.5 million project encompasses a host of both functional and visual upgrades, including narrowing the eastbound travel lanes and installing an expanded, 14-foot wide brick-paver sidewalk on both sides of the road.
It also involves planting new Majool Date Palm trees, and relocating electric power lines to the westbound side of the highway. The installation of new and decorative street lighting is also included, as is a new and colorful Sunny Isles Beach sign. A key goal of the project, in addition to improving the appearance, is to help spark further redevelopment of the area.
Progress on the Active Park
After much time and planning, our Active Park is finally becoming a reality, and it will soon be the city's 'flagship' recreational facility. It will include a 12,000 sq. ft. two-story recreation center with multiple activity rooms, a 10,000 sq. ft. enclosed gymnasium, a playground, and a lighted little league baseball field. These features will bolster the versatility of the site, since the space will serve as the home for our fast-growing summer day camp, our other year-round arts and crafts activities, and the staff for our Parks and Recreation and Cultural and Human Services Department.
The gymnasium will enable some of the activities previously held outdoors to be conducted indoors and at night, which will accommodate our increasing rate of participation. We expect the Active Park will host both youth and adult activities simultaneously.
Additionally, much of the site and facility can serve the recreational needs of a new K-8 school, which is being planned for an adjacent parcel. The Active Park is expected to open in spring of 2007.
A New K-8 School
Thanks to a unique partnership between the City of Sunny Isles Beach and the Miami-Dade County Public School District, a new K-8 school is being planned to serve the city's growing population of students. Sunny Isles Beach is providing substantial funding toward the purchase of land to house the new school, which will be owned and operated by the Miami-Dade County School District.
While the plans for the project are not finalized -- the specific two-acre piece of property must still be acquired – the city is supporting the School District every step of the way. A new school in Sunny Isles Beach is urgently needed. In 1997, there were approximately 300 school age students (K-12) in the city. Today, that number has ballooned to approximately 1,600.
Town Center Park
This new park, located at the intersection of Collins Avenue and 172nd Street, is scheduled to open for use in October. The Park is noteworthy because it was constructed by the Related Company as part of a Transferable Development Rights initiative. This park is the first example of the use of this innovative development concept intended to facilitate the acquisition and preservation of open space.
The Park features a small playground, a parking lot, and a walking path with physical fitness work stations. It will also include a small covered pavilion with electric power, which will serve as a site for musical concerts and social events.
Fireworks at the
Birthday Celebration
One of the highlights that we hope to continue each year is the use of fireworks to help celebrate our annual Sunny Isles Beach birthday anniversary. This year we worked closely with Coast Guard officials to coordinate and expedite planning for use of an ocean-going barge to launch the fireworks. In addition to the quality of the fireworks, we upgraded the musical entertainment, food, beverages, and activities for children.
A New Bronze Sculpture
To help symbolize the role of families in Sunny Isles Beach, the city has commissioned the creation of an original bronze statue. The larger than life-size statue, which will be created by a local artist, will be placed at the entry to the Samson Oceanfront Park to welcome residents and visitors.
Illuminated Signs
We are preparing to have each of the city's distinct neighborhoods be marked by illuminated signage. At a minimum these uniform signs will mark the entrances to the Golden Shores neighborhood, Winston Towers, Atlantic Isle, Poinciana Isle, and Arlen House.
To further aid motorists and pedestrians, this budget calls for plans to install illuminated street signs for each of the major streets that intersects with Collins Avenue.
New Government Center
Now that the new Government Center is fully open, we are incurring higher operational costs, such as for maintenance, upkeep and utilities. However, the rent from the new Tony Roma's restaurant covers approximately one-half of all of our operational costs.
We also anticipate slightly higher costs for the Department of Cultural and Human Services, due to the expansion of programming and needed staff, and for equipment related to IT and video and communications, due to our expanded effort to reach out to residents via recorded and live programming broadcast via local access Cable TV Channel 77.
Strategic Planning Initiative
Strategic planning is essential if we are to assure that all of our municipal resources are allocated as efficiently as possible and enable us to achieve our highest priorities as quickly as possible. We also need a comprehensive evaluation system to make sure we eliminate any service gaps and perform all of our duties as cost-effectively as possible.
Most of our dept. heads and senior managers have already attended in-depth seminars on strategic planning and resource allocation conducted by faculty at Florida International University. A key goal is to link each department’s daily work activities and any new initiatives to the long-term goals and priorities identified in the strategic plan.
A Solid Team
The vast majority of this budget is a continuation of earlier efforts, many of which are already yielding positive results. It also includes a few modifications and additions that developed more recently to meet new or revised priorities.
I am very proud that our Finance Department staff continues to play a key and expanding role in our municipal government. They prepared this year's budget -- while handling their array of ongoing duties and responsibilities -- and are to be commended for their effort. This budget meets the diverse needs and desires of our fast-growing community.
I also want to thank especially the Mayor, the City Commission and the volunteer members of the Manager's Financial Advisory Committee for their support and advice during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
Christopher J. Russo
City Manager and Budget Officer
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