The Ponte Vedra Municipal Service District unanimously approved its budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year with a total appropriated expenditures and reserves consisting of $1,845,606.
The board came to the decision during a special final budget meeting on Sept. 16, which also served as a public hearing.
Total revenue for the MSD in the budget is $836,800, which consists of an ad valorem of $788,800 at a millage rate of .2464 and an interest income of $48,000, while the board has a cash balance of $1,008,806.
Total expenses in the new fiscal year budget comes out to $1,535,356.
When broken down into the various categories that make up the MSD’s budget allotment, includes $182,678 for general government services, including $50,000 set aside for a plan review position.
Public safety has been designated for an expense of $811,500 with many projected capital projects continuing to be on the books as the MSD is hopeful to get accomplished in the next fiscal year.
This includes $350,000 being designated for proposed sidewalk projects, with $250,000 of that amount going to phase one of a sidewalk project from Solana Road to Miranda Road and $75,000 for a proposed sidewalk project that will stretch from San Juan Drive to Ponte Vedra Circle.
Just like sidewalks, the drainage issues encountered throughout the Ponte Vedra Beach area is something that both the MSD and residents are attempting to solve, and as a result, the trustees have set aside $150,000 to help with potential drainage projects.
Rounding out the public safety portion of the budget is $250,000 assigned for law enforcement and a combined $61,500 for traffic speed signs, street lighting and street lighting maintenance.
The physical environment category of the budget has an allotment of $541,178, the majority of which will go toward sanitation with $481,678 designated for those services.
The sanitation service cost has increased from last year’s fiscal budget due to the recent newly created contract St. Johns County made with FCC Environmental Services.
Despite the contract recently being terminated by the county and being in the process of finding a replacement service, the cost associated with the contract is still in effect as FCC continues as the county’s service provider for the time being until a solution is met.
Current year contingency reserves in the new fiscal year budget are $48,251, while there are also $100,000 for an emergency cleanup fund and $162,000 in reserves for October to November, which was factored into the total appropriated expenditures and reserves amount.
The entire final budget was approved unanimously with a vote of 4-0, as they had enough trustees for a quorum with Kitty Switkes, John Cellucci, Brad Wester and Mickey White in attendance for the special meeting.
