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Sarasota News Leader July 19, 2013 Page 17 mills. Kicking aside the decimals, the latter represents an 8.5 percent increase in taxes. For a home valued at $200,000, that represents a tax bill $49.58 higher than last year (or 14 cents per day). Commissioner Susan Chapman made the motion to approve the proposed millage rate for the 2014 fiscal year; Commissioner Suzanne Atwell seconded it, and it passed 3-2 (Commissioners Paul Caragiulo and Mayor Shannon Snyder in the minority). The 3.1738 mills is a line in the sand; commissioners can lower the rate later, but they cannot go above it when they adopt the final FY 2014 budget. It took two days of focused meetings to arrive at the final number. Between the opening City Auditor and Clerk Pam Nadalini. Photo prayer and the closing gavel, a great deal of by Norman Schimmel information was traded between staffers and commissioners. Most of it was bleak. a new zoning code for the city. The effort is expected to last three years in producing a The exercise began with a growing budget, up "form-based code." 8.4 percent over the current period. Revenues lagged $3.4 million behind planned expenses. Also new in the budget are a couple of initiaInstead of spending two days whittling away tives proposed by City Manager Tom Barwin. the deficit, commissioners piled on more ex- One is $100,000 for caseworkers to help homepenses into the FY 2014 budget. less and vagrant people. Barwin also wants to encourage training for all city employees, NEW INITIATIVES and he budgeted that at $15,000 along with a A number of additional projects were con- $50,000 line item for employee development, ceived at a November strategic retreat in- including tuition reimbursement and profesvolving the commissioners and staff. Two city sional training. parks will receive master plans next year, for City Auditor and Clerk Pam Nadalini added example. North Water Tower Park and Gilles$200,000 to the budget, asking for the money pie Park will be examined for $50,000 and to repair the city's aging audio-visual equip$30,000 respectively. ment that allows meetings in City Hall to be The city is budgeting $300,000 for an "urban broadcast on cable systems and streamed on design studio" for two consultants to develop the Internet. The system has begun to fail, she