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Fort Myers Beach staff, council set September budget hearing dates and August deadline for millage decision
Summary
The management planning section agreed on Sept. 11 and Sept. 24 for FY 2025–26 budget hearings and discussed moving the town’s maximum millage decision to its Aug. 4 meeting to use final taxable values; staff will deliver the budget document by July 15 as required by the town charter.
Town staff and council members set dates for the fiscal year 2025–26 budget hearings and agreed on a single date to set the town’s maximum millage rate.
Amy, a town staff member handling finance matters, told the planning section she and Town Manager Joe were attempting to coordinate the town’s schedule with Lee County and the school board. After discussion of members’ availability, the group agreed to hold the first public budget hearing on Thursday, Sept. 11, with the regular morning meeting at 9:00 a.m. and the budget hearing as an evening session at 5:01 p.m., and to hold a second hearing and regular meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 24, with the same times.
On timing for the town’s maximum millage rate, staff explained that final taxable values are available on July 1 but the statutory filing deadline for the millage certification is Aug. 4. Planning-section members concluded it would be easiest to set the maximum millage rate on Aug. 4 — the actual deadline — to avoid having to adopt and then revise a tentative rate based on estimated values. Town Manager Joe explained the Aug. 4 date allows the council to base the decision on final taxable values instead of an estimate.
Amy confirmed the town charter requires the budget document be delivered to council by July 15. Planning-section members asked for the budget document to be presented with options (for example, revenue scenarios tied to different millage rates) so incoming decision-makers will see implications of alternative rates.
The section also gave staff consent to sign and submit a letter requesting Tourist Development Council (TDC) funding help for the town’s Fourth of July fireworks; the group recorded verbal consent and instructed staff to transmit the letter to the TDC chair and vice chair.
Councilmembers and staff discussed key budget risks and priorities including beach renourishment (not fully funded in the town’s operating budget and historically reliant on grants), the outstanding loan and potential revenue-replacement grant impacts, and the town’s need to identify funding for capital improvements. Town Manager Joe summarized that while grant reimbursements had covered much of recent recovery work, the town will soon need to generate new revenue for capital projects and that any millage increase should be supported by a clear spending plan.
