Dade City commissioners voted unanimously Monday to adopt a tentative operating millage rate of 6.6208 mills and a tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget totaling $62,969,607, and to approve several utility and street-lighting assessments.

The millage resolution (Resolution 2025-25) and the tentative budget (Resolution 2025-26) were adopted during the commission’s first public hearing on the budget; the second public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Why it matters: The 6.6208 mills equals the city’s rollback rate (a 0% increase) and reflects the city’s calculation that 1 mill on current certified taxable value would yield about $812,425. The tentative budget and the millage set the spending and revenue baseline for the coming fiscal year and will be finalized after the second public hearing.

Key facts and votes
- Certified taxable value (Pasco County property appraiser): $812,425,095.
- Tentative operating millage: 6.6208 mills (rollback rate). Vote: 5–0 (Commissioners Church, Shive, Cosentino, Mayor Pro Tem Tim Woodard and Mayor Scott Black voted Aye).
- Tentative budget: $62,969,607. Vote: 5–0.

Commissioner Amber Church asked staff for clearer explanatory language in the budget book, pointing to truncated sentences in the printed packet and asking that the budget summary explicitly tie increases to capital projects and recent population growth. City Manager Van Ervin said staff will provide a digital link to the full, live budget and will add clarifying language and corrected figures for the final hearing.

Related assessments approved
- Stormwater: Resolution 2025-19 certified the final assessment role and kept the ERU (equivalent residential unit) fee at $50 per ERU (based on 2,340 sq. ft. of impervious area). Vote: 5–0.
- Line And Estates (enhanced street lighting): Resolution 2025-20 set the annual rate at $486 per parcel (decrease from $491). Vote: 5–0.
- Pines Subdivision (enhanced street lighting): Resolution 2025-21 set the rate at $221 per parcel (unchanged). Vote: 5–0.
- Highland Bluff (enhanced street lighting): Resolution 2025-22 set the rate at $100 per parcel (increase from $95). Vote: 5–0.

What staff said
City Manager Van Ervin explained that the millage rate was advertised through TRIM notices and that the proposed tentative rate must be at or below the maximum legal rate. Financial staff noted the tentative millage represents no increase in ad valorem revenue under rollback rules and that staff will refine headings and correct typographical issues in the packet for the final budget.

Next steps and context
The commission will hold its second budget hearing Sept. 23 to adopt final millage and the final budget. Staff committed to fixing the budget packet’s copy errors, expanding the overview to explain capital projects (for example Morningside Drive extension and the urban center) and providing a digital, interactive budget link.

Votes at a glance
- Resolution 2025-25 (Tentative millage 6.6208 mills): adopted, 5–0.
- Resolution 2025-26 (Tentative budget $62,969,607): adopted, 5–0.
- Resolution 2025-19 (Stormwater assessment $50/ERU): adopted, 5–0.
- Resolution 2025-20 (Line And Estates lighting $486/parcel): adopted, 5–0.
- Resolution 2025-21 (Pines Subdivision lighting $221/parcel): adopted, 5–0.
- Resolution 2025-22 (Highland Bluff lighting $100/parcel): adopted, 5–0.

Ending: The commission’s tentative decisions preserve the city’s current tax rate while setting a spending plan that staff says funds planned capital projects; final adoption will come after the second hearing on Sept. 23.