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City Council sets maximum millage unchanged amid budget talks; staff outlines revenue and expenditure changes
Summary
The council set a proposed maximum millage rate of 4.1893 (same as FY2025) while budget staff presented a proposed $68.8 million general fund budget and updated revenue and expenditure assumptions; the vote was 4-1.
Palm Coast council members on Tuesday approved a resolution establishing the proposed maximum millage rate for FY 2025‑26 at 4.1893, the same rate used in the prior fiscal year, while staff presented a detailed general fund budget overview that projects $68.8 million in general fund expenditures.
Budget staff summarized revenue assumptions, including a roughly 10% increase in taxable values and ad valorem revenue estimated at about $44 million at the proposed rate. Staff said the proposed budget increases total general fund expenditures by $7.6 million (12.5%) over the prior year, with major changes including two positions for fire and two for public works, transfers to capital and streets programs, and normal salary/benefit adjustments.
Council discussed whether to lower the maximum millage by 0.1 mill; Vice Mayor Pontieri and others urged a 0.1‑mill rollback and tighter line‑item precision. Councilmember Gambaro and others argued keeping the rate at 4.1893 preserves flexibility during the budget process; council ultimately approved the resolution 4-1 to set the maximum at 4.1893. Staff reminded council it may adopt lower millage or change appropriations later; the tentative budget hearing is scheduled Sept. 10 and the final hearing Sept. 24.
Staff also described appropriated fund balance uses for one‑time items such as a salary study and golf‑course irrigation repairs, and said changes since the prior workshop included transferring 0.3 FTE to code enforcement and adjusting personnel hours at the Southern Recreation Center. The presentation included interfund transfers and contingency planning; council members asked for continued precision on personnel and healthcare cost assumptions.
Why it matters: Setting the proposed maximum millage establishes the upper limit that will appear on TRIM notices; council can set a lower rate before final adoption. The budget sets near‑term priorities for public safety, parks, streets, and capital projects and frames the public hearings this fall.
