North Miami Beach mayoral candidate Ray Marin is insistent that he was fiscally responsible during his 20 years on the dais.  His comeback campaign, full of misleading and completely false statistics, is based on nothing but smoke and mirrors.

In his latest campaign email, Marin wrote, “During my time in office the millage tax rates went from a high of 7.5000 mils to 6.6136 mils, a reduction of your tax rate of 11.8%. Not too shabby. My opponent? His time serving you lowered the millage rate from 6.6136 mils to 6.3000 mils a decrease of 4.7%, less than half of the decrease I was responsible for.”

The facts, however, tell a different story.

According to Miami-Dade County Millage Tables, North Miami Beach’s tax rate of 7.5000 mils remained the same through 2006.  In 2007, it was reduced to 6.6905.  In 2008, it was reduced to 6.6236.  By the year 2009, the tax rate dropped once again to 6.6136.

Here are the facts that Ray Marin doesn’t want you to know:

1. During the first 17 years he was in office, Ray did absolutely nothing to cut taxes.
2. The millage rate was reduced for the first time during Ray’s 18th year in office.
3. The millage rate was reduced for the second time during Ray’s 19th year in office.
4. During Ray’s 20th (and final) year on the dais, the millage rate was reduced again, however Ray had absolutely nothing to do with this tax cut since it was passed by the Council in September of 2009 – four months after he was voted out of office.

Since Ray left office:

1. In 2010, the tax rate was reduced to 6.6036.
2. The rate remained the same until 2016, when it was reduced to 6.5000.
3. The very next year in 2017, it was further reduced to 6.4000.
4. A year later in 2018, the tax rate dropped once again to 6.3000.

Here’s the thing.

While Ray is bragging on his cutting the tax rate from 7.5000 to 6.6236, let’s not forget that he was Mayor during the largest real estate bubble in history.

From 2005 to 2008, ad valorem tax revenue increased by $5,899,909 – nearly 43%!

During that same period, spending increased by $6,813,494.

Not only should the millage have been cut in half due to the increased revenue, but Ray Marin then wiped out the entire revenue windfall (plus an additional $913,585) in a wasteful spending spree.

To make matters worse, the Undesignated General Fund Balances, or reserves, were astronomically below the recommended Best Practices of the Government Finance Officers Association (GOFA).

In 2007, while Ray was Mayor, the reserves were nearly half of what they should have been.

Ray Marin’s out of control spending and fiscal irresponsibility wasted millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars, leaving future administrations to clean up his mess.

Under the watchful eye of his opponent, Tony DeFillipo, the city’s reserves have SKYROCKETED to over $25 MILLION!

Remember that during his entire 20-year term in office, Ray Marin did not reduce the tax rate for 17 years, yet he continued to plunder the city’s reserves.

Tony DeFillipo, on the other hand, has only been in office for five years – one quarter of the time Ray Marin sat on the dais! – during which the tax rate has dropped dramatically and the reserves have more than tripled.

Now that’s what we call “not too shabby!”

But, wait. There’s more!

You won’t believe what happened to the water utility while Ray Marin was in office.

Stay tuned…

Stephanie