Forming the town’s budget takes months of planning, hours of discussion and more than a few punches into the calculator.
The process is even more complicated this year due to conversations far removed from the tranquil barrier island of Longboat Key.
About 300 miles northwest in the Florida panhandle, a campaign to revamp or even abolish property taxes has kept town, city and county leaders across the state up at night. Property taxes are by far the highest revenue source for municipalities, making up more than 75% of Longboat Key’s general fund, which pays for police, fire and other departments in the town…