Fort Lauderdale budget workshop highlights pressure from rising personnel costs, police overtime and CRA questions

Fort Lauderdale elected and advisory officials met April 15 for the first of three joint budget workshops and discussed a tightening fiscal picture driven by rising salary and benefit costs, persistent police overtime, and uncertainty about future development revenue. The commission asked staff and the Budget Advisory Board (BAB) for options on revenue, service-level reductions and how to prioritize public safety within the budget.

The matter is time-sensitive: staff said the city has held the same millage rate for 18 years while salary and benefit growth continue to outpace that rate. The city manager and budget staff warned that if revenues do not increase, the commission will face choices about service levels and capital spending in upcoming budgets.

Bill Brown, chair of the BAB, opened the budget discussion and noted efforts to increase transparency, including posting BAB meetings on YouTube. He told the group the BAB will return in June with revenue and expenditure forecasts and that the commission will set required notifications later in the summer. "We know what your priorities are.…