West Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was created in 1959 to stop the area from being annexed into the city of Melbourne. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 18,355, reflecting an increase of 8,531 from the 9,824 counted in the 2000 Census. In 1970, the city's population was approximately 3,050. Since 2000, the city has experienced the highest population growth percentage of any municipality in Brevard County. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Voters created the city in 1959 to stop the area from being annexed into the City of Melbourne. In 2005, the City of West Melbourne started charging property taxes for the first time in its existence (since 1959). Prior to 2005, the city survived on a "fees only" tax revenue system for its $17 million budget. From 2005 to 2014, home-schooled students, all three children from a West Melbourne family, won the state spelling bee championship a total of seven times, from two to three times each. Government The City of West Melbourne utilizes a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of the mayor and six council members. The City Management consists of a city manager and a twelve-person executive management team. The city government offices are located at the West Melbourne City Hall. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $1.32 billion. In 2011, about half the city general fund was spent on the police department. City council Hal Rose, Mayor (November 2013 – Present) Andrea Young, Council Member (November 2011 – Present) Pat Bentley, Council Member (November 2012 – Present) John Dittmore, Deputy Mayor, Council Member (May 2018 – Present) Daniel Batcheldor, Council Member (November 2018 – Present) Daniel McDow, Council Member (November 2020 – Present) Stephen Phrampus, Council Member (November 2020 – Present) City management The city experienced a 35% increase in crime for 2010, the highest rise in Brevard County, most areas of which experienced a drop in crime. This included 48.5% more burglaries. In 2010 the number of police officers dropped from 38 to 33, due to a hiring freeze. The fee for garbage disposal was $10.24 per month per household in 2011–2012. Personnel who operate the city government, under the guidance of the city council, include: Scott Morgan, City Manager Richard T. Wiley, Police Chief Morris Richardson, City Attorney Geography