Have you heard that phrase made famous by Benjamin Franklin when he said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes?” Most of us agree that paying taxes is something we do not enjoy but hopefully we do find joy in our lives. Our taxes pay for many of the public services that make the quality of our lives better and to which we are all entitled. Hollywood residents and I often have conversations about what those services are that the city provides for the dollars we all pay. We usually don’t give much thought to these services unless something goes wrong. Most of the time those services and systems are just there. We might not think about the paved roads on which we ride our bicycles or drive. We likely are not thinking about the sidewalks on which we travel that keep us safe from cars. Chances are we are not thinking about the pipes that carry clean water to our homes or what happens to the water when we flush our toilets. 

Currently in our city, multi-family and condominium buildings purchase garbage and recycling services through contracts negotiated privately by each building, while single family homes pay for garbage and recycling services as part of a city contract. Another vital service is the ability to call for help when we have a health emergency and when our personal safety or property is at risk. These are just a few of the community essentials that we have agreed to pay for together. 

Generally, our individual household budgets reflect our values. The way we spend our money is an indication of what is important to us. That is also true for our city’s budget. Over that last eight months your city government has been in the process of developing a budget based on our values. I hope some of you participated in the survey that asked for your input on what your values and priorities are for our city. The survey results and my conversations with you indicated that Hollywood residents had two clear priorities. You want a city that is clean and safe. Those priorities are reflected in the proposed budget for 2025-26 which begins in October. It is not too late for you to learn about the budget and to provide your input before it is adopted. You may learn more by visiting the Budget and Performance Management page on the City of Hollywood website – https://hollywoodfl.org/214/Budget-PerformanceManagement. The budget will be presented and open to public input during a public hearing on September 11th and September 18th.

You will be glad to know that the city Commission recently decided to reduce slightly the maximum rate at which property taxes may be assessed. The task at hand is to continue to provide quality services while the costs rise and at the same time limit the burden on our residents. It is certainly a balancing act. As your City Commissioner it is part of my job to work with you, our city’s managers, and staff to ensure that you receive the services our great city offers. Remember it is all of us together that make Hollywood the safe, clean place we want it to be. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas to share, please contact me via email at iquintana@hollywoodfl.org.