Newspaper Page Text
October 26, 2022
•Beporter
Page 7A
SCHERER
Continued from 1A
shortfall in revenue. Com
missioners only learned of
the shortfall after they had
set the budget and the prop
erty tax rate.
Monroe County chief
appraiser Bobby Gerhardt
received the news on Thurs
day, Oct. 20 that the state
had reduced Plant Scherers
taxable value from $1.6 bil
lion in 2021 to $1.1 billion in
2022. The 32 percent reduc
tion in value will mean $2.6
million less in revenue for
the county and at least that
much less in revenue for the
school board.
Of $541 million loss in
value from the plant, most of
it, $379 million, comes from
the closing of Unit 4,76
percent of which was owned
by Florida Power & Light.
Last year FP&L paid taxes
on the $379 million value
of Unit 4. This year that
value went to $0, according
to the state Department of
Revenue. While the county
sets values on most property
for taxes, the state handles
assessments for utilities.
Somehow, Jacksonville Elec
tric Authority, which owned
the other 24 percent of Unit
4, saw its taxable value go up
slightly to $121 million.
Commissioners have
been discussing other cost-
savings ideas since getting
news from county manager
Jim Hedges on Thursday.
Commissioners have a set a
called meeting for 5 p.m. on
Tuesday, Nov. 1 to consider
spending cuts to offset the
loss.
Commissioner George
Emami has urged commis
sioners in recent years to
slowdown spending because
Plant Scherer would be
losing value. Emami had
the past two years.
Hedges said he doesn’t
know whether they can
include county raises and
said some county positions
currently unfilled will not be
funded in the 2023 budget.
Monroe County's total
budget, which was just over
$42 million in 2022, en
compasses 34 departments,
multiple fund balances and
over 2,200 budget line items.
ALL CHRISTMAS DECOR
50%
OFF
commissioners shot him
down.
“Our county has benefit-
ted disproportionately to
other rural communities by
having Plant Scherer here
as a tax payer,” said Emami.
“Unfortunately, we have
allowed our budget and ser
vice offering to our constitu
ents to rise to a level that is
unsustainable without them
being here. What we are
about to experience is akin
to a family losing a portion
of their income. There will
be lots of debate about what
and where to cut. It’s going
to be uncomfortable and
even painful, but there needs
to be a ‘right-sizing’ of our
government here in Monroe
County. Just like in a fam
ily, we will need feedback
from our community on
what programs and services
they most need... and we
permanent cuts, there will
necessarily be a substantial
increase to the millage rate
next year.”
Commissioners and the
school board have already
set the property tax rate
for the year with a slight
reduction in the milage rate.
Commissioners would have
had to raise property taxes
by 20 percent to collect the
same amount as last year
due to the declines at Plant
Scherer.
“It’s not good news,” said
chief appraiser Gerhardt.
Gerhardt said that Hedges
and county finance director
Lorri Robinson-Byrd are
going through the budget
to see what they can cut. He
said the county needs new
industry to replace Scherer.
“We better get some com
mercial and new industry
in Monroe County” said
Monroe County Schools
will lose about $3 million
from the Scherer shortfall.
The county put out a press
release on Tuesday saying
that Monroe County citizens
should expect the same level
of services despite the news.
Hedges said projected
revenue increases in other
areas will somewhat offset
the decrease. Hedges said
offsetting the property tax
decrease, Monroe County
anticipates a $2.2 million
revenue increase from rising
residential property values.
But Hedges noted that
costs will also go up with
inflation in inmate meals,
fuel, health insurance and
retirement costs. In addition,
Monroe County will begin
paying in 2023 the principal
on the $20 million bond to
fund the Juliette water proj
ect after only paying interest
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ASSAULT
Continued from 1A
Forsyth business before
claiming that he owned the
place. This time, said Beck,
he claimed he owned the
place, told everyone to leave,
and then started threatening
to kill them all. He was also
shouting expletives. Memo
rial Chapel employee Randy
Inglett was on the couch
and told Mayes that the best
thing he could do was to “get
the h— out of here.”
Mayes then went next
door to Beck’s home repeat
ing the same insane thing
about owning the place and
telling everyone to leave.
“He would have shot us
if he had a gun,” said Beck.
“He just ain’t took his medi
cine.”
The funeral home called
police and Mayes walked
away heading west on Main
Street. Monroe County
deputy Cody Maples, who
was familiar with Mayes,
caught up with him just
past MLK Drive. But as he
approached, Mayes sucker
punched Maples a couple of
times and got on top of him.
Maples suffered a busted
lip, scratches and cuts to the
back of his head and arms.
Inglett saw it happening and
pul led Mayes off Maples and
helped him regain control
and subdue Mayes and he
was taken to jail.
Sheriff Brad Freeman, who
is familiar with Mayes as
well, said it could have gone
a lot worse for the troubled
man after he showed out at
the funeral home.
“If he had kept punching,”
said Freeman, “he would
have attended his own
funeral.”
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Thursday. October 27
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Coleslaw
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