Ormond Beach commission approves 2025‑26 budget with 4.3202‑mill operating rate after last‑minute amendments

The Ormond Beach City Commission voted unanimously to adopt an amended final operating millage rate of 4.3202 mills and approve the fiscal year 2025–26 budget at its September meeting, after weeks of public comment and a last‑minute proposal to lower the rate.

The vote came after discussion of a proposal from Commissioner Travis Sargent to reduce multiple dedicated millages and shift about $1,061,557 from reserves to hold the millage flat. Commissioners debated several options at the dais before adopting the amended resolution setting the operating millage at 4.3202 mills and the debt service millage at 0.063 for the 2010 general obligation bond sinking fund.

The budget matters because the millage rate determines how much property owners pay to fund city operations and capital projects. Finance Director Kelly McGuire told the commission that, under the adopted proposal and using the planned reserve transfer, the city would still have a combined general fund reserve of 17.54%, above the city’s 15% benchmark.

Discussion and public comment focused on competing priorities: some residents urged the commission to maintain or raise revenues to preserve public safety staffing, parks and recreation programming and capital work, while others opposed any…