Gimenez proposes lower tax rate in second budget

We are in year two of tracking Mayor Carlos Gimenez's promise to reverse the tax increases of his predecessor. With cooperation from county commissioners, Gimenez received a Promise Kept in 2011 for reducing the property tax rate. Now he wants to drop it a smidgen more.

In July, Gimenez proposed a budget for 2012-2013 that drops the tax rate from $9.74 to $9.55 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Much of the decrease in the tax rate is possible due to a slight uptick in property values. The budget would drop from about $6.2 billion to $5.9 billion due to previous cuts and reorganization.

County commissioners approved the rate in a 10-3 vote July 17. The Miami Herald explained that some homeowners would see slightly lower taxes, while others might see slightly higher taxes if their property values rose.

Gimenez made several other budget-related promises we will be tracking including taking back raises, for which he earned a Promise Kept , and not laying off police officers or closing fire stations, for which he also earned a Promise Kept.

County commissioners could reduce the tax rate further, but they can't increase it when they finalize the budget Sept. 20. That means that Gimenez gets another Promise Kept for cutting property taxes.