City staff told the Dade City commission at a workshop that the city’s consolidated draft budget stands at just over $67,000,000, a figure staff said includes capital projects, personnel and conservative inflation assumptions.

The budget discussion is consequential because commissioners flagged that the current draft is more than $10 million higher than the prior year’s budget and includes several large capital asks that could be spread over multiple years. Staff emphasized that some of the increase reflects capital projects previously saved for (for example, the wastewater treatment plant and certain CRA-eligible projects) and pay-related adjustments tied to a recently completed salary study.

Finance and departmental staff reviewed vehicle requests that factor into capital planning. Replacement requests in the upcoming fiscal year mentioned by staff include a water department replacement truck ($50,000), a wastewater replacement truck ($48,000) and a replacement vehicle for a meter reader ($33,000). New-vehicle requests included four patrol vehicles budgeted at $363,000 (to be paid from public-safety impact fees), a $46,000 vehicle for a second code-enforcement position, two crew-cab service-body trucks combined at about $85,000 (one for water, one for public works), and two streets pickup trucks totaling roughly $50,000. Staff also noted one high-cost item—the stormwater tractor truck—totaling about $700,000, which could be financed over several years rather than bought with a single-year cash outlay.

Staff proposed a city-wide fleet GPS program to expand vehicle tracking beyond police vehicles (police currently are the only department tracked). The GPS plan was pitched as a safety and accountability measure to address complaints about speeding, verify work hours, and aid vehicle recovery if a unit is stolen from a city facility.

Commissioners repeatedly asked staff for more granular data and justification. Commissioner Church and others urged that carryovers, interfund transfers and long-lived capital be clearly identified in budget documents so the public and auditors can see which costs are one-time capital expenditures and which represent ongoing operational increases. Commissioner Cosentino expressed discomfort with a $10 million year-over-year increase and asked staff to “get as lean as we possibly can without shorting ourselves.” Commissioner Church also raised the potential for state audit attention and asked that the budget be defensible with documentation linking population growth, deferred maintenance and the capital plan.

Staff also discussed personnel costs and a recently completed salary study. Staff said new position requests already reflected recommendations from the salary study; the existing payroll totals for current employees had not yet been fully adjusted to the study and staff committed to providing a follow-up number. Commissioners requested a staff roster and pay-grade spreadsheet showing which current employees earn under $15 per hour and the tenure of those employees so the commission can weigh targeted adjustments without compressing pay for long-tenured staff.

Staff said they have identified potential ways to reduce the single-year impact, including spreading large capital projects over multiple fiscal years and using restricted reserves or CRA funds where allowable. They also said some capital asks were carryovers of previously budgeted items and that loan or lease options could smooth cash flow.

Ending: Staff told commissioners they will return with side-by-side leasing vs. purchase analyses (based on the Enterprise Fleet presentation), local reference checks, a pay-grade spreadsheet showing current wages and the number of employees below $15 per hour, and a clearer capital-versus-operating breakdown at the next budget workshop.