BELLEAIR BLUFFS -- Belleair Bluffs' budget for fiscal year 2006 will go up, but taxpayers face no increase in the millage rate, according to figures in the preliminary budget revealed at the City Commission meeting Monday night.
Those figures show about an 8 percent increase in allocations for next year, boosted by $57,444 earmarked for a contingency reserve in public works, presumably for clean up for any winds that may blow later in the year.
The total expenditure figure right now is $2,289,705, in contrast with the $2,122,570 being spent in the current year.
In other business, Robert David, the public works director, reported that there is a drainage problem at the condominium/town house project adjacent to Albertson's.
He said the building permit could be revoked there by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The project has been a bone of contention in the city with setback problems among others.
The City Commission approved a request from firefighters to seek disaffiliation from the Clearwater union in order to set up their own unit.
Going down to defeat was the proposed home occupation law.
Revisions in the law had been discussed. The law restricts home occupations to an art studio, a dressmaking business or a profession (doctor, lawyer, etc.).
When the ordinance came up Monday night there was hesitancy before Commissioner Bob Russo moved to approve it. But no second came and the issue died.
Changes in the proposed new law created confusion. One problem was coming up with the definition of what a home occupation is, a nebulous idea in many cases.