DELRAY BEACH — Spending will increase by 7% in Delray Beach in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 under the city’s approved budget of $281.4 million.

The city commission voted 3-2 to adopt the budget Sept. 19, with commissioners Ryan Boylston and Shirley Johnson voting against it.

Compared to the last fiscal year, the city has budgeted an increase in general fund revenues of $11.5 million. Most of that money comes from city property taxes.

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Much of the spending increase stems from rising personnel costs under the city's collective bargaining agreements.

Police received the largest increase in departmental expenditures, compared to the previous fiscal year — $3.1 million more, an increase of 7.6%. The parks department received about $2.7 million more, an 18% increase from the $14.9 million received last year.

The city cut its property tax rate to $6.67 per $1,000 of assessed value, a 2.5% drop from last year’s rate of $6.84. Under this formula, the owner of a home valued at $300,000, receiving $50,000 in homestead exemptions, can expect to pay about $1,700 in city property taxes.

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Budget breakdown

The city's general fund comprises about 59%, or $166.6 million, of the total citywide budget, up 9% from last year. Several factors led to its increase.

• Transfers to the general capital projects fund for $1.3 million in repairs to the Crest Theater at Old School Square.

• $895,000 in funding for the Freebee transit program.

• Spending $419,585 for additional employees for the Clean & Safe Division, which maintains and the downtown area within the CRA District.

• Other increases include funding for storm water improvements, as well as funding for the city’s e-permitting system within its building fund.

Here's how general fund spending breaks down:

• The largest portion of the general fund will go toward public safety. The city's police department will receive about $44.5 million. The 7.6% increase is driven largely by the costs of wages, benefits and liability insurance. Delray Beach Fire Rescue will receive about $41.7 million.

• The parks department will receive about $17.6 million in funding, an 18% increase from last year. Besides personnel expenses, costs to maintain buildings and parks also rose.

• Another $11.7 million will go toward public works, an increase of 14.8% from last year, driven by personnel costs.

• The neighborhood, community services and developmental services departments will get a collective about $6.2 million.

• Information technology saw its budget cut $13,630 to about $5.3 million.

• The city attorney, the only other department to receive less funding this year, will get about $1.4 million, a reduction of about $5,600.

In other areas:

• The city has budgeted about $59.5 million for its enterprise fund, an 11% increase from last year.

• Internal service funds, which increased by 11% from least year, will cost a total of about $31.6 million. These funds cover areas such as the city garage fund and the insurance fund.

• Debt service funds will remain unchanged, and cost a total of about $5.6 million.

   

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach OKs $281.M budget that cuts tax rate, increases spending