Our Response to the Manager: Our criticism of the budget process last week was meant to help make improvements in the future. Though our editorial was not about you and your state experience from years ago, Mr. Saunders - you are our hope for the future!   If the process is strengthened - the end result may be closer to what the taxpayers need - relief from high taxes, inefficiencies and out of control spending.

To read the full analysis, with statistics, along with suggested improvements we’d like to see in Village budgeting: Click Here.  We found the comparison of Islamorada and Marathon budgets shocking. Islamorada property taxes approved are $8 million more than Marathon!  And they are a larger community and have a huge fund balance.

We appreciate the improvements the Village Manager is instituting - but the Village’s ongoing operating costs cannot continue to escalate.  Using the fund balance and increasing property values is not a good way to reduce and control a bloated budget.  Islamorada is spending too much of the taxpayers’ hard-earned income.