[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5973584,"mediaKeyId","5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b","parentId",5838032,"title","Residents and commissioners press city on customer service, phone system and aging infrastructure","audioSeconds",222,"startMs",2817000,"endMs",3039000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b&start=2817&end=3039","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b/thumbnail_2817000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5973584/Hollywood-City/Broward-County/Florida/Residents-and-commissioners-press-city-on-customer-service-phone-system-and-aging-infrastructure","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973584-d3b7a9d3787b29d5cf4aa3e445cf0d4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770397599&Signature=Zd7SAMiSrdOiOn5tjmPPQ7M30Bew0C8R3hUQFcmpKQWSmoZ6Rx-4UT88VoNZB4ZgcMbMmHVwYL027S5SZYN2gPHgP1mhk8NlXfKb9JR1QE1bqt3VyiRR8UGad5V-sq8zSEBZIdFztYqNQTMefsQd3-dz5XKQFgc9KtEiELS~2YTyiw-FJfmm9aqs0-SEsRz25hj~mQRFezb2NefwTRboS6kXPxd5oeb9vnckS-3uoWoJv62B9sWymXB2cxisROYDVobwz3Ttl5tVCDuz-SOx6xeTcF5OtyrgH7Yv4raXUjWlBaQiD6DccGgWqpvfsFiywf3mq6GPkD-111gVBLKwtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Hollywood","date","2025-09-26T00:00:00Z","article","HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Public commenters and commissioners used the Sept. 25 budget hearing to press city officials on customer-service responsiveness, the usability of a new phone system and ongoing infrastructure maintenance.

A resident identified in the public comment period as Ralston told commissioners she is frustrated with the new phone system, repeated dropped calls and long waits for public-record responses. Ralston also urged the commission to include ongoing infrastructure maintenance in budget planning, saying canal dredging and stormwater upkeep had been neglected and citing an instance of canals being closed and dredged for five months only last year. She said that in 41 years living in the city she had not seen similar dredging until recently, and that stormwater drains in her neighborhood were not identifiable.

Commissioners and the city manager acknowledged the concerns and tied them to broader budget priorities. Several commissioners — including Commissioner Collier and Vice Mayor Quintana — said customer service is a central concern and encouraged staff to make it easier for residents to understand how tax dollars translate to services and to improve responsiveness, including return calls and emails. The city manager and Assistant City Manager highlighted investments in process improvement, a new compliance position and a planned enterprise asset/property management system intended to help inventory and maintain city infrastructure.

No formal action on phone systems or specific infrastructure projects was taken at the meeting; the remarks were made as public comment and as commissioner feedback during budget discussion. The city manager said staff are pursuing technology and process changes to reduce response times and improve service delivery and that many infrastructure projects will be addressed through the adopted capital improvement plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Workshop: FY 2026 Second Public Budget Hearing 9.25.2025","oneSentenceSummary","During the budget hearing, residents and several commissioners raised long-standing concerns about customer-service responsiveness, a new phone system, and deferred infrastructure maintenance including storm drains and canal dredging.","taxTitle","Hollywood City, Broward County, Florida","taxId",17630,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5973589,"Pride organizers ask Hollywood for more in-kind support after police-detail costs consumed sponsor funds",197,3159000,3356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b&start=3159&end=3356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b/thumbnail_3159000.jpg","/articles/5973589/Hollywood-City/Broward-County/Florida/Pride-organizers-ask-Hollywood-for-more-in-kind-support-after-police-detail-costs-consumed-sponsor-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973589-e756a78588e78aabd707a62a57f56cc0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770396836&Signature=Je~JNESyvsGkyHaCL95khQodLedW5IQTXlX55ZQRHCmRnAKFR2c905LTCRDf39a1lCmJpbhxZI2PlWlhLCGpHuLs95McPaPEdBgJeVQYauHy7XsUs0FLiCJ8BzE9~7S~mAFlBE0Ufbin~XAjKkMWQQhRLw~cvkDJITuv5ebqCND71i3-kZvOsKvrgqTAp5Gs6EZF3XGEV09mZ3w9TQSTPnBOqVePeiwJnsZyXQeME9IGVZ0EEmbBZPNvRLONQxFAHXVAFi9tb4hZ7~qLQootTi4kbA-EwSCHPmVeGVKqh5wVRj5minTosKYv1-wsD2jX0ykrq5PqeoGdRqL5jsKY5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Representatives of My Hollywood Pride asked the City Commission on Sept. 25 for additional in-kind support to help cover security costs so sponsorship funding can be used for programming and growth.

Jeff Oliverio, president of the Hollywood LGBTQ+ Council and co-chair of My Hollywood Pride, told the commission that last year nearly 75% of the city sponsorship dollars were used to pay for police detail. Oliverio said Pride has grown into a multi-day, multi-venue celebration that brings thousands of residents and visitors to the city, and that the volunteer-run event lacks the hotel and restaurant revenue streams of other major events and thus depends heavily on sponsorships and city support.

Oliverio requested that the city consider offering more in-kind public safety support — for example, public service officers — so sponsorship funds can be directed to programming and visitor experience. He said the event is expanding this year to ArtsPark and other venues and thanked the commission for prior support.

His remarks were delivered as public comment during the budget hearing; no immediate action or motion to change sponsorship or detail assignments was taken at the meeting. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the comment in the context of broader budget constraints and rising costs.","My Hollywood Pride organizers told the commission the event's city sponsorship last year was largely consumed by police detail costs and asked for additional in-kind support, such as public service officers, so sponsorship dollars can fund programming.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5973594,"Seniors urge permanent site and funding for community food distribution; city hears request",233,3005000,3238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b&start=3005&end=3238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b/thumbnail_3005000.jpg","/articles/5973594/Hollywood-City/Broward-County/Florida/Seniors-urge-permanent-site-and-funding-for-community-food-distribution-city-hears-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973594-4baa3ae900b06ebf5b8b111579b72069/orig.mp4?Expires=1770398575&Signature=Ps2oQLE8VXw7leTKM9KTx5sIoEBYJBLyiRT3AzlWxsNY3RDBQ-ZY8WyNc2XgrCgOmYMkX3jV75f4sk5jdqtvUrnkWrMNrD7sLwB-q5N7jjs5GDjQLH4bBWel67e23Ab44AgpdJQkG6M-jjjKtplj-LjdN3V2oocoa9j-VTs7-scPFzxdlJbuzgj-fCzewsZQvrD8m8izlGP7JwWLv2nNCQwdHnq-B4-Z-R4q36q-LdvwcrdMF0gLFmUjK3sup1yr8g1M96Jv7zK-nCPP9vdCT5jJs-qfNkIvi3TFBDW-MbLr6lyHjXH-gF~d31WKcu1CN~fmKu2Fa9pGXaGfDOE1iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — At the Sept. 25 budget hearing, participants in the Community Enhancement Collaboration (CEC) program told the City Commission that Tuesday senior food distributions at the Wiley Street site are difficult for older residents to access and asked the city to allocate funds and make Washington Park a permanent site.

Carlene Duarte, who identified herself as a Hollywood resident and a CEC program participant, said she is disabled and relies on the program. Duarte said seniors wait for hours in sun or rain at the Wiley Street distribution and that there is no bathroom available. She praised the temporary arrangement at Washington Park, saying it provides shade, seating and restroom access, and asked the commission to “please allocate funds to access everyone in the community by including our seniors and their need for help in this situation.”

The request was made during the public hearing on the FY2026 budget; no commission motion or vote resulted from the comment. The statement was presented as public comment asking staff and the commission to consider funding and site stability to improve accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.

City staff did not give a formal response on the record during the hearing; the city manager and commissioners later discussed broad commitments to customer service and process improvements in the context of the overall budget.","Residents and a program leader told the commission the Community Enhancement Collaboration (CEC) senior food distribution is hard for older residents to access at its current Wiley Street location and asked the city to allocate funds and consider making Washington Park the program's permanent home.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5973599,"Hollywood adopts $949 million FY2026 budget, lowers total millage to 7.9606 mills",527,628000,1155000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b&start=628&end=1155","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838032-93ac54074177a0f98ef5ffbc7770791b/thumbnail_628000.jpg","/articles/5973599/Hollywood-City/Broward-County/Florida/Hollywood-adopts-949-million-FY2026-budget-lowers-total-millage-to-79606-mills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973599-261912aa3debc5d1fd9222b441aa8cb1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770396458&Signature=e3Jo7nqz2uea0o~acgIUUrkA6-OHaVFxtsRx2SpqA46Ef5k88zFT9~oYz79JxUCgB99k5HbVnw0Kgsp3SS9rRZzSc-GlGgxF6FTNcruM~okwllipgNgbvMiiaEh7KBABlDSZPP7HGk~-lU0Q~kNhjKPxEIZ47K62YcccQ1mFAxCRQO8dYHWVI82I5pdi-XxMBL0wtobMGw7YjnondI~S7braq3ss-PqUx6NnVat-ydtvI4ZeVM529kOeLelQfeeTdnjcZCwcoHz1WaNJKqZrOi2ap3-e~CDsZoxvAAsbeBZytLdY8ZcXtwzLhmLQ3xn9S370YaThNeg~UWccE3R~UA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The City Commission on Sept. 25 adopted a $949,000,000 fiscal year 2026 budget that lowers the city’s total millage to 7.9606 mills, approves roughly $95 million in capital projects and authorizes 40 new positions across city departments.

City Manager (name not specified in the transcript) opened the second public budget hearing and said the proposed budget “for the second year in a row” recommends a reduction in the operating millage and a debt-service decrease that together bring the city’s total millage below 8 mills for the first time in about 14 years. Assistant City Manager Adam Reichback outlined the numbers in more detail and noted the total city funds represent an 11.9% increase from FY2025.

The budget vote followed public notice and a second hearing required by Florida law. The commission voted unanimously to set the operating millage at 7.4293 mills (a decrease of 0.0186 mills from the 2025 operating millage), producing a total millage of 7.9606 mills after reductions in three debt-service millage rates. Reichback said the General Fund is approximately $416,000,000 — about 44% of the total budget — and that the overall budget growth reflects taxable-value growth and other non-property tax revenue sources.

The FY2026 budget document submitted to the commission shows three principal priorities for the new resources: enhancing public safety, strengthening city services and preparing for the future. The capital improvement plan totals about $95,000,000 and focuses primarily on water and sewer and stormwater projects tied to the city’s stormwater master plan, with additional allocations for general capital outlay, equipment replacement, gas tax and sanitation projects.

Reichback and the city manager said the budget is structurally balanced — meaning ongoing revenues are intended to meet ongoing expenses — and highlighted that 40 new authorized positions are included for FY2026. New hires and reclassifications listed in the presentation include positions for public utilities (treatment-plant mechanics, accountants, project managers), public works (fleet mechanic, recycling coordinator), public safety (three new fire-prevention officers and other firefighter positions previously funded by a SAFER grant that the city is absorbing), police technology intelligence specialists, development-services plan reviewers and inspectors, and new IT, code compliance and communications roles. The city manager said the total full-time-equivalent headcount is approximately where the city was 15 years ago and described the additions as restoring capacity lost during earlier periods of fiscal urgency.

Commissioners who spoke during the hearing emphasized customer service, performance measurement and process improvements. Several commissioners and the city manager said the administration is pursuing an enterprise asset/property management system and a stronger compliance and process-improvement function to manage the growing asset base and to measure service outcomes.

Formal actions taken at the meeting included unanimous approval of the millage-setting resolution, adoption of the FY2026 operating budget, adoption of the FY2026–FY2030 capital improvement plan, authorization of the new positions for FY2026 and the commission’s concurrence with a separate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) budget adopted by the CRA board.

The commission's votes on the budget package were unanimous. The city manager and Assistant City Manager promoted the city’s performance-measurement systems and said budget decisions were informed by multi-department review and data on trends and service demands.

Less-critical items noted in the presentation included continued investments in body-worn cameras, school-zone speed enforcement, CCTV and license-plate reader expansion, outfitting a new police headquarters (PDHQ), enterprise vehicle-replacement program funding and additional cybersecurity resources. The city’s Budget Office team was acknowledged by name at the meeting for its work producing the budget documents.

Mayor Levy closed the meeting following recognition of the budget staff and a staff departure announcement.","The City Commission unanimously approved the fiscal year 2026 operating budget, a five-year capital improvement plan and authorization for new positions, while reducing the operating and debt-service millage rates to the lowest level since 2011.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents and commissioners press city on customer service, phone system and aging infrastructure

Pride organizers ask Hollywood for more in-kind support after police-detail costs consumed sponsor funds

Seniors urge permanent site and funding for community food distribution; city hears request

Hollywood adopts $949 million FY2026 budget, lowers total millage to 7.9606 mills