Orlando City Council adopted the final millage rate of 6.65 mills and the fiscal year 2025-26 budget at a second public hearing, approving a total proposed budget of $1,799,689,491 and a general fund of $739,605,671. The council approved the millage rate—4.27% higher than the rollback rate of 6.3774—by voice vote after a motion by Commissioner Sheehan and a second by Commissioner Stewart.

The budget and millage were presented as unchanged since the council's initial hearing on Sept. 8 and were described by presenters as intended to maintain current service levels with public safety as the top priority. City staff said the final budget in brief and supporting documents had been posted to the city's website earlier in the month and that a legal advertisement ran in the Orlando Sentinel on Sept. 18.

Council members moved and approved related tax levies and budgets for two district entities at the same hearing. On behalf of the Downtown Development Board (DDB), council adopted a 1.00-mill rate (the board's proposed rate) and a DDB budget of $4,381,358. The Downtown South Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) millage was also set at 1.00 mill and its budget adopted at $1,070,465. Each of those items was presented as unchanged from the Sept. 8 tentative approvals and as within the state's formula parameters.

The council indicated that the budget process began with a July 14 workshop and that draft documents had been available on the city's website since late July. During final comments, council members and the mayor thanked department directors and fiscal staff for returning unspent funds to the general fund and for contributing to what the mayor characterized as a balanced budget.

Commissioner Burns, who identified himself as president and chief executive officer of the Health Care Center for the Homeless, disclosed a potential conflict of interest and said grant awards to that organization would come back to the council only after a separate written agreement was negotiated; he said he would abstain from voting on any specific agreement and would file the required paperwork with the city clerk. "None of that money goes towards my compensation," Burns said.

Motions on the city millage and budget and on the district millages and budgets were resolved by voice votes; where recorded the clerk announced "motion carries" after the "ayes." No roll-call vote totals or individual roll-call positions were read into the record at the time the council adopted each resolution.

What the council adopted

- City millage rate: 6.65 mills (presented as 4.27% above the rollback rate of 6.3774). Motion by Commissioner Sheehan; second by Commissioner Stewart; outcome: approved.
- City proposed total budget: $1,799,689,491; general fund: $739,605,671. Motion to adopt the budget by Commissioner Sheehan; second by Commissioner Burns; outcome: approved.
- Downtown Development Board: millage 1.00 mill; budget $4,381,358. Motion by Commissioner Rose; second by Commissioner Sheehan; outcome: approved.
- Downtown South Neighborhood Improvement District: millage 1.00 mill; budget $1,070,465. Motion by Commissioner Sheehan; second by Commissioner Stewart; outcome: approved.

Process notes and context

City staff and the clerk emphasized that the adopted figures had been part of the budget development process since a July 14 workshop and that notices and the budget-in-brief were posted and advertised consistent with state requirements. Council members thanked fiscal staff and department directors for returning unspent funds to the general fund during the fiscal year.

The council did not change the proposed millage at the second hearing; council members and staff framed the package as a balanced budget intended to preserve core services and public safety. Commission Burns' conflict disclosure indicates that any future grant agreement with his organization would return to council for separate approval, and he said he would abstain from votes on such agreements.

What this does not do

The council did not conduct roll-call recorded votes for the resolutions in the portions of the transcript where the items were adopted; no specific parcel-level tax impacts were presented during the hearing beyond the examples raised during public comment. Any interlocal or grant agreements referenced as contingent on future council approval were not adopted at the hearing and will require separate council action.

Ending

After adopting the budgets and millage rates for the city, the DDB and the Downtown South NID, council recessed and adjourned the related board meetings and returned to the city council session. City officials said the adopted documents would be posted on the city website and that staff would incorporate the chief financial officer's comments into the final files where noted.