It’s Your Money
Tallahassee and the Property Tax Debate

The Florida Legislature has done a good job of dealing with a difficult issue. The property tax debate doesn’t provide easy answers for anyone, and the two-step process finally agreed upon – while not ideal – at least tackles the issue head-on. I applaud the effort, even if I’m not giving a standing ovation to the result.

Here’s the problem, and it’s being played out in every city and town throughout Broward County: whatever Tallahassee does on this issue has severe unintended consequences for every municipality. A property tax cut at the state level means that Fort Lauderdale – or Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach, for that matter – need to cut their expenses, and that means cuts in services. We can all agree that municipal budgets have fat and waste, but when millions of dollars are on the line and citizens need to contend with the hard choices of keeping libraries and parks open or cutting police and fire services, we are facing dire circumstances.

We all live in Florida for the quality of life – and while it may have changed a lot over the years, Broward County is still a great place to live. I grew up in Deerfield Beach, and remember long sunny days hanging out at Pioneer Park and the beach, and then taking an easy drive up A1A. Of course, those days are long gone. Pioneer Park is packed every day, and traffic is so heavy on A1A that it’s sometimes faster to move on foot.

But my point is that while Broward is a different place now, its residents still need to experience the quality of life that brought us here. And it is unfortunate that many of the services that support our quality of life are now threatened by the property tax debacle.

As a candidate for the Florida Legislature, and as an accountant, financial planner and tax professional, I know how to make the tough choices, and how to assess the cost-benefit ratio that determines which cuts will hurt the least. I have dozens of clients that face the same decisions for their own personal situations, and I counsel them as to what makes the most sense.

It’s that professional sensibility that I will bring to Tallahassee. I’m not saying people won’t be upset, or disappointed, or hurt that they may lose something they hold precious. But the reality is that our elected officials have let us ride this wild property wave that now is just crashing on the shore. Should we have known that property values wouldn’t forever keep increasing, and that the real estate boom would end? Of course – but who in Tallahassee was advising municipalities to prepare for that?

Here’s my approach: Open up the process. Let’s be honest with citizens who are paying to run the government. Broward Property Appraiser Lori Parrish got the ball rolling last year when she encouraged Broward residents to show up at city commission meetings and ask questions about what was happening with the property tax situation. That’s a good start, but we need to do much more.

When I’m in Tallahassee, I will ensure that our municipalities are partners in the budgeting process. This year they were blindsided (although they shouldn’t have been!) I have spent my professional career bringing people together to air their differences and find common ground – it sounds easy, but the reality is that the first step is always the hardest.

The 92^nd district has 62,785 voters – you will be my boss, and your own best advocate. My role will be to take your desires, move them through the legislative process in the state capital, and feed them back to your local elected officials. At the end of the day, we all work for you -- it’s your money! I will not forget that when you elect me, and I hope you keep reminding me of it every day.