Lake City council adopts 4.9 millage rate, approves $86.17 million budget

The Lake City Council on Sept. 17 adopted a final millage rate of 4.9 mills and approved the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget totaling $86,169,734 in revenues and expenditures. The council voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2025-129 setting the millage and Resolution 2025-130 adopting the budget.

Why it matters: The adopted rate is 4.62 percent higher than the rollback rate of 4.6835 mills. Public speakers and several council members said the increase will raise property tax bills for some homeowners and could strain seniors and low-income residents who said they already struggle to pay for medicine, utilities and other necessities.

Council action and vote: The council moved and seconded the millage resolution and passed it by roll call: Carter — yes; Jernigan — yes; Young — yes; Harris — yes; Mayor Noah Walker — yes. Council later voted to adopt the final budget by the same roll-call outcome. The finance director reported total revenues and expenditures of $86,169,734.

Public comment and council discussion: Multiple residents urged the council to use the rollback rate or otherwise limit increases. Glennell Bowden and Sylvester Warren said increases would disproportionately affect people living north of the railroad tracks and elderly or low-income tenants. Bowden said she pays about $1,200 monthly for medicine and warned that “anytime you raise taxes…you have an adverse impact” on people “north of the railroad track.” Warren and others criticized the budget priority choices and the process timing, saying the budget package arrived late and limited community review.

Council members acknowledged the concerns. Some council members asked for continued attention to senior residents and low-income households; others defended the city’s ability to fund services. Finance staff noted the adopted millage is the levy the council approved for the fiscal year.

Context and specifics: The rollback rate published for FY2025–26 was 4.6835 mills; the council set the final millage at 4.9 mills. The budget the council adopted balances total revenues and expenditures at $86,169,734. The finance director (identified in the record as Taylor Moore) and staff presented the numbers and answered procedural questions during the hearing.

Next steps: With the vote, the millage and budget are final for FY2025–26. Public speakers said they will continue to press the council on funding priorities and on targeted support for seniors and low-income neighborhoods.

Ending: Council members and members of the public said they would continue discussing spending priorities and process improvements during the coming year; the council did not change the adopted millage or budget on Sept. 17.