Orange County Library District adopts final millage, $175.1 million budget for 2025-26

The Orange County Library District Governing Board adopted a final millage rate and a $175,148,620 budget for fiscal year 2025-26 during a final budget public hearing convened by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.

The budget represents a 5.82% increase over the prior fiscal year, and library officials said the adopted millage rate exceeds the rollback rate by 5.34%. Christopher Shoemaker, the library’s chief financial officer, announced the figures and described the millage and budget as the items before the board for final adoption.

Steve Powell, director and chief executive officer for the Orange County Library System, opened the hearing and said copies of the budget and millage resolutions were available at the information desk outside the chambers. Shoemaker told the board, “The final fiscal year 2025-26 Orange County Library District’s budget is a $175,148,620, which is a 5.82% increase over the prior fiscal year.” He also reported the millage figures: “The final millage is 0.3748. The rollback millage is 0.3558. The final millage rate is 5.34% above [the] rollback rate.”

No members of the public completed speaker cards or addressed the board during the public comment period. With no public comment, board members proceeded to the formal votes. A member of the governing board, Stephanie Hadocia, moved to adopt the millage resolution; Commissioner Gomez Cordero seconded the motion. The board voted “aye” and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously. For the budget resolution, the motion was made by Miss Herdoshia and seconded by Commissioner Uribe; that motion also passed unanimously.

After the votes, Mayor Demings told the board and members of the public that federal funding was at risk because a federal government shutdown was possible later that night and asked county senior leadership to prepare briefings on potential operational impacts. There was no further business and the board adjourned.