Panama City adopts tentative millage, approves $136.5 million tentative budget; adds MLK rec center operating funds

At a Sept. 9 budget hearing, the Panama City Commission voted 5-0 to adopt tentative millage rates of 4.7999 mills for the city’s general fund and 3.0 mills for the Panama City Downtown Improvement District, and to approve a tentative fiscal budget that includes $136,529,775 in city expenditures (excluding interfund transfers) and $242,640 for the Downtown Improvement District.

The tentative millage rates together create a current aggregate rate of 4.8626 mills, which the commission said is 2.8% higher than the current aggregate rollback rate of 4.73 mills. The millage and the budget were presented as the first public hearings required under the Truth in Millage (TRIM) process; both measures passed on roll-call votes of 5-0.

City staff and commissioners said the tentative budget includes new operational funding for the city’s planned MLK recreation campus. During the public-comment period, resident Gregory Dolcey asked whether the MLK rec center’s budget was available; city staff confirmed the full tentative budget is posted online and said staff would help locate specific line items. Staff told the commission they had moved “just over a million dollars” into the next fiscal year for MLK staffing, operations and programming and that the staffing plan for the MLK campus calls for 19 positions (8 full-time and 11 part-time). Staff said the campus is expected to be open about 94 hours a week and that a grand opening is planned for mid- to late November. The city identified a new MLK rec complex manager, named “Elliott” in the meeting.

The commission’s presentation included totals for the tentative budget under consideration: $136,529,775 in city expenditures (excluding interfund transfers) and $242,640 for the Downtown Improvement District. The commission noted the budget gap had been reduced using the sale of a piece of property described in the meeting as “2.8” and a one-time deferral in fire pension payments described in the transcript as “1.1 0.8”; the meeting record does not specify units or clarify the second figure.

Commissioners said the tentative budget will return for final adoption after the required TRIM notices and additional hearings. City staff said the full tentative budget document is available online and that the final budget adoption is scheduled at the next public meeting two weeks after the Sept. 9 hearing.

During the meeting Mayor Branch and commissioners thanked city staff for work on the budget and specifically recognized Samantha Perman, identified at the meeting as the city’s budget manager.

Votes at a glance

• Resolution 20250909.2 — Adopt tentative millage rates: motion to adopt 4.7999 mills (city general fund) and 3.0 mills (Downtown Improvement District). Moved and seconded; roll-call: Commissioner Janice Granger — Yes; Commissioner Josh Street — Yes; Commissioner Hughes — Yes; Commissioner Lucas — Yes; Mayor Branch — Yes. Outcome: approved, 5-0.

• Resolution 20250909.3 — Adopt tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget for the City of Panama City and Panama City Downtown Improvement District (city expenditures $136,529,775 excluding interfund transfers; Downtown Improvement District $242,640). Moved and seconded; roll-call: Commissioner Janice Granger — Yes; Commissioner Josh Street — Yes; Commissioner Hughes — Yes; Commissioner Lucas — Yes; Mayor Branch — Yes. Outcome: approved, 5-0.

(Quotations and attributions in this article are drawn from the Sept. 9 public hearing transcript.)