Melbourne Beach commission adopts tentative 4.6-mill rate and $5.29 million budget; funds stormwater and three paid fire officers

The Melbourne Beach Town Commission on Tuesday adopted a tentative operating millage rate of 4.6 mills and a tentative budget of $5,293,520, measures that commissioners said will fund stormwater projects and add three paid fire officer positions to the town’s fire department.

Mayor Allison Dennington said she would vote for the budget despite the tax increase, citing immediate needs in public safety and stormwater: "I will be voting for this budget, which includes a tax increase... it will increase public safety services," Dennington said during debate.

Town Manager Elizabeth Mascaro walked commissioners through the line-by-line updates the commission approved at a prior meeting, describing the changes as “the updates that were all agreed upon by the commission at the meeting on Monday night.” Those changes reallocated departmental payroll and capital dollars into a new stormwater fund (Fund 341) and added personnel and contingency items for the fire department.

Key changes described by Mascaro and staff include transfers and line adjustments: removal of a finance clerk position and the associated payroll and benefit costs (approximately $89,002.42 moved into stormwater), transfer of…