Orange City council sets proposed 2025 millage rate at 7.8 mills

Orange City Council on July 22 voted to set a proposed ad valorem millage rate cap of 7.8 mills for tax year 2025, advancing the city’s budget process. The measure passed after a council discussion about the city’s revenue needs, hurricane-season uncertainties and the desire to leave flexibility in case of additional budgetary demands.

City Attorney Jeremy Reichman read the resolution into the record and Finance Director Dublin Moore explained the legal requirement that the council set a proposed millage rate by Aug. 1 and described how the chosen rate functions as an upper limit for the September public hearings. Moore said the proposed rate of 6.8691 mills would generate about $8.7 million for the general fund and that each one-tenth of a mill yields approximately $126,000. He also explained the rollback rate for 2025 is 6.5019 mills.

Council members debated whether to set a higher cap to preserve flexibility. Several members noted hurricane season and other contingencies as reasons to leave “wiggle room.” After discussion, a council member offered a motion to set the proposed millage at 7.8 mills; another council member seconded. No public comments were offered on the motion. A roll-call vote followed and the motion passed with six affirmative votes, establishing 7.8 mills as the proposed rate and scheduling the first public hearing on the tentative millage and budget for Sept. 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

Moore and Reichman reminded the council that the proposed rate is a cap and that the council may set a lower final rate at the public hearings. Staff and council members also noted that setting a higher proposed rate can encourage public participation and that the city will provide citizens notice by the required TRIM mailing process.

The council’s action sets the maximum ad valorem tax rate the city may consider while staff finalizes the budget and prepares materials for the August workshop and September hearings.