Fort Lauderdale budget advisory board reviews 2026 proposed operating budget; city manager proposes departmental realignment

Fort Lauderdale's Budget Advisory Board reviewed the 2026 proposed operating budget and a city manager plan to reorganize city departments, with officials emphasizing public safety, capital project delivery and a more centralized approach to economic development, housing and homelessness services.

The proposal projects that the typical single-family taxable value is $641,000 and estimates the combined impact of ad valorem changes and other items would add about $183 per year — about $15.25 per month — for that representative home, staff said. "The Proposed Budget includes a lot of information, but it addresses the Commission's highest priorities. It prioritizes public safety and infrastructure improvements, accelerates the capital project, maintains a healthy fund balance, and is structurally balanced," a budget staff member said.

Why it matters: The reorganization and budget choices affect how the city staffs and delivers police, fire and capital projects, how it deploys federal and settlement money, and how residents can weigh trade-offs ahead of the commission's hearings.

City manager presentation and organizational changes

City Manager Nicole Williams (city manager) told the board she began a deliberate review of the organization after joining the city and proposed consolidating similar functions to improve accountability and…