Sept. 10, 2025 — Orange City's City Council adopted a tentative millage rate of 7.2387 mills and approved the city's fiscal year 2025–26 budget during a public hearing on Wednesday evening.

Finance Director Devlin Moore told the council the 7.2387 rate is balanced and would generate an additional $468,000 in recurring revenue compared with the rollback rate certified by the Volusia County property appraiser. Moore said the adopted budget covers rising operating and personnel costs, funds three new city positions, provides pay adjustments for employees and maintains a $90,000 contingency.

The proposed budget package and millage were discussed at length in prior workshops and public meetings. Moore said the rollback rate is 6.5019 mills and that the council originally set a proposed rate of 7.8 mills in July to allow flexibility during the workshop and hearing process; council settled on 7.2387 as the balanced rate. He showed the council how general fund operating appropriations increase from about $17.5 million to $20.2 million, a roughly $2.7 million (16%) increase that Moore attributed to full-year funding for previously prorated positions, pay adjustments, and new personnel costs.

Small-business owner Alan Bradley of Secure Store Self Storage raised concerns during public comment about how the tax increase would affect local businesses. "I can't afford to raise my prices 16 percent this year to be able to pay property taxes," Bradley said, adding that businesses face different caps and pressures than homesteaded residences.

Council members and the mayor responded to residents by describing the budget tradeoffs and recent cost drivers. Council members noted that public safety and stormwater needs, replacement of aging infrastructure and higher prices for equipment and construction have pushed costs upward; the council pointed to prior storm damage and the need to replace public-safety vehicles and repair washouts. Council members also described efforts to pursue grants and state funding to reduce taxpayer burden.

Moore outlined other budget details: the general-fund reserve after adoption would be about $9.8 million (including capital and facility construction funds); utility enterprise funds would have about $5.4 million; stormwater enterprise reserves were shown at roughly $130,000 before the stormwater rate action. The presentation listed capital projects including design for a new public works facility, a public safety building, Fire Station 68, City Hall interior remediation and parking-lot work partly funded by a $293,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award for 220 Graves Avenue. Moore said water and sewer budgets increase and that the stormwater fund was prepared using the stormwater rate study and master plan the council adopted in June 2025.

The council voted to adopt ordinance No. 693 certifying the millage rate at 7.2387 mills; the vote was recorded in the meeting roll call with the majority in favor and one member absent. The council then adopted ordinance No. 694, the annual budget for 2025–26. Mayor Marks announced the city's tentative millage rate and reminded residents that the final budget hearing will be Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers.

What happens next: the council will hold the final public hearing on Sept. 23, when the millage and budget may be finalized and further public comment will be accepted. Residents who want more detail were invited to contact city staff for the line-by-line budget documents.