Friday, May 16, 2025
Members of the Village of Atlantic Beach board of trustees held a tentative budget meeting on March 24, offering residents an opportunity to review the proposed 2025-26 budget and share questions, comments or concerns with the board. The final budget will be presented on April 28. Here’s what to know about the preliminary fiscal plan.
Legal Fees and Settlements
The biggest issue that was raised by the residents was the increase in legal fees. The budget included $408,168 for the village attorney, and $240,500 for fees, and special council, as well as $4,000 for legal publications-data processing, for a total of $652,668 in the Law portion of the budget.
Mayor George Pappas addressed residents’ concerns about legal fees, explaining that the village budgeted for a worst-case scenario in the ongoing Chabad and Libbey litigation. He noted that if both cases are settled, the allocated funds could be redirected to other areas of the budget if necessary.
“The budget includes worst case scenario, as if we were to go to a full year discovery with the Chabad case, with full trial for the Libbey case,” Pappas said. “We have to make sure we have the money in the budget in case those things do happen. So we spoke to council, and their recommendation to protect the village and not on a shortfall would be 408,000 in a worst-case scenario with this budget here.”
Budget and Fiscally Responsibility Concerns
Many residents were vocal during the meeting about the continued increase in spending and urged the board to review the budget again to identify potential cuts before the final version is presented on April 28.
Resident Douglas Garczynski suggested a significant tax increase is coming and expressed concern that the rise, along with additional budget spending, could drive middle-class residents away.
“You haven’t come up with the percentage that’s going to raise, but it’s going to hurt. We’re going to have a very, very large tax rates this year,” Garczynski said. “My biggest fear is that we’re going to be driving middle class and retirees out of this community, and they’re not going to be able to live here, and you don’t seem to show any concern about that.”
Pappas assured the residents that the board would look over the current proposed fiscal plan and additional staffing before the final budget is presented.
Staffing and Personnel Expenses
Many residents sought clarification about the mention of a new employee in the village office. Pappas and deputy registrar Donna Stone explained that the office currently has three full-time employees and a floater. They proposed converting the floater position into a part-time role to assist with front office operations.
“Right now, the village office is running with three full employees, and what we call a floater,” Stone said “With high season coming in, we need another part time employee in the front office. The salary is $24 an hour for 30 hours.”
The budget also includes funding for a new court employee, which Pappas addressed, saying the village has been operating with one full-time and one seasonal court employee but will now have one full-time and one part-time employee.
