For much of 2020, as guidance often changed in the COVID-19 response, county leadership took its cues from the Executive Policy Group, a board made up of leadership from Osceola County, the cities of St. Cloud and Kissimmee, the School District, health, law enforcement and emergency officials
With the county in a declared state of emergency for nearly a year, it did its best to make decisions on things like curfews and mask mandates without “a playbook” for such a pandemic. Chalking it up to lessons learned, the County Commission Monday voted to amend that group, calling it the Executive Advisory Group.
Critics of the group said it made decisions behind closed doors, bumping up against the state’s Government in the Sunshine laws that demand open records. The changes “bring more clarity” Commission Chair Brandon Arrington said at Monday’s meeting.
County Manager Don Fisher said the change puts the power of making emergency decisions and executive orders back in the hands of the County Commission, after it hears the expertise of the county’s different governing bodies.
“We had never experienced anything like we did in 2020,” Fisher said. “We’re used to weather declarations like hurricanes, when we manage resources for a couple days and then it’s over.
“Any order the Advisory Group makes now will be issued by the Commission. Outside of that, it will function the same way it has before, when it served as an advisory role 98 percent of the time anyway.”
The policy change contains specific language about how anything issued by the Executive Advisory Group will be disseminated: “Pursuant to Florida Statutes, all orders and emergency rules imposed and enacted by the Board … must be available on a dedicated web page accessible through a conspicuous link on the County’s homepage. The Executive Advisory Group shall assist with ensuring that the content of such orders and rules approved by the Board are promptly disseminated to the general public and to the governing bodies of the applicable municipalities.”
Fiscal Year 2022 budgets approved; tax rates don’t budge.
Osceola County, the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud and the Osceola County School Board have approved their budgets for Fiscal Year 2022, which in most cases began Friday, Oct. 1.
Osceola County Commissioners approved a $1.96 billion budget, one that keeps the general millage tax rate at the same level since 2011.
Spending is up as recovery from the pandemic continues, with state and federal funds being disbursed for housing and job assistance as fast as it comes in.
Included in that budget are environmental studies or right-of-way costs for key road widening or extension projects: Neptune Road, Simpson Road, Boggy Creek Road and Bill Beck Boulevard.
Funds are also in the budget for two new fire stations, including one slated to break ground near Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in December, and plans for affordable housing at the SunRail Station on Poinciana Boulevard and supported construction of at least 80 units at Cameron Preserve Phase II.
Nearly as large, the School District of Osceola County approved a $1.717 billion budget, with a millage rate of 6.0010 mills to raise about $398 million locally for schools. Just over a third of that ($633.8 million) will be spent on instruction (educator salaries).
The St. Cloud City Council approved a $171 million budget for fiscal year 2021-22. The budget includes a 3 percent cost of living increase for city employees, and holds the millage rate at 5.1128, where it has been since 2016-17. The total City of Kissimmee Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 is $216.88 million, and has also kept its millage rate at 4.6253.
In July, the Kissimmee Utility Authority board of directors approved a $239 million operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2022 that did not include a base rate increase. The utility’s last base rate increase was in 2005.
