City Lakeland may raise property taxes to fund public safety

Lakeland officials have advertised a potential increase in the city’s tax rate to pay for public safety measures. 

Commissioners face a decision on whether to raise Lakeland’s property tax rate from $5.43 to $5.76 per $1,000 of assessed value. It would provide the city with nearly $3 million more in revenue to add more firefighters and police officers.  

To raise taxes, a super majority — or five out of seven commissioners — will have to vote in favor. 

“If the vote were today, I wouldn’t vote for that,” Commissioner Chad McLeod said. “I’m not convinced you can’t do this under the current millage rate.”

McLeod pointed out the city’s property tax roll has grown by more than 14% since last year. The rollback rate, or $4.9865 per $1,000 of assessed value, would allow the city to collect the same amount of tax revenue. 

For a Lakeland homeowner with a taxable valuable of $100,000 after applying the Homestead Exemption, the tax rate would be an increase of roughly $33 a year. The city’s other option is to hold the line on taxes and absorb the cost of public safety measures from its reserves. 

Lakeland’s proposed budget provides more than $1.3 million for the hiring of 13 additional police officers. The funds budgeted will cover the individuals’ salaries and benefits. An estimated $866,000 from the city’s unallocated $2.9 million American Rescue Plan funds will be used to purchase the officer vehicles and equipment. 

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Lakeland Police Chief Ruben Garcia said. 

It’s roughly one-third of the manpower Garcia asked for in February. The chief had requested the city provide money to hire 31 additional officers over the next three years — 21 immediately, followed by five personnel each in 2024 and 2025 — in order to keep pace with the city’s population growth.

Garcia said based on the city’s projected population of 117,000 by the end of 2022, different industry standards suggest hiring additional 26 to 35 officers. That could be difficult to do in a year, the chief admitted, given the lengthy process of recruiting and screening candidates.

“This is a well-measured, phase-in approach,” Garcia said. “We want good-quality hires.”

One of the 13 positions will be a school resource officer to help provide coverage of the middle and high schools when existing officers take sick or vacation leave, Garcia said. For years, the chief said he’s had to cover absences by pulling people from the department’s traffic division. 

The commission’s next scheduled budgetary hearings are at 6 p.m. on Sept. 8 and 22 at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. An official vote as to the final millage rate and city budget will take place on Sept. 22.