North Lauderdale holds first budget hearing; commission sets 7.4-mill rate, approves amendments and assessment resolutions

The City Commission of the City of North Lauderdale held the first public hearing on the 2025–26 budget on Sept. 12 and approved, on first reading, an operating millage rate of 7.4 mills and a set of budget-related resolutions and amendments.

The commission adopted an ordinance establishing the city's ad valorem operating millage at 7.4 mills ($7.40 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value) for the 2025 tax year and took separate votes on the annual budget and several assessments for fire rescue, solid waste and stormwater services.

Why it matters: The millage and the budget frame how the city will allocate resources for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2025, and how much property owners will pay in local taxes and service assessments. City staff said rising property values increased the city's taxable value but the commission maintained the millage to avoid a rate increase for residents.

City Manager Mike Sarges summarized the budget presentation and revenue context, saying the city's taxable value increased about 8.35%, from $2.49 billion to about $2.698 billion, producing roughly $18.97 million in property tax revenue. Sarges noted that of every property tax dollar paid by residents the city receives about 34 cents, with the remainder distributed to other taxing authorities including the school board and county.

The commission voted to maintain the city millage at 7.4 mills. The ordinance read into the record states the 7.4-mill levy represents an 8.10% increase from the rolled-back rate of 6.8458 mills as calculated for the 2025 tax year.

During the first-reading budget item, Mayor Bordelon offered a package of amendments and asked that the city manager incorporate them into the final budget to be adopted at second reading on Sept. 22. The amendments the mayor moved and the commission approved to direct the city manager to include were: a $1,500,000 housing rehabilitation program for owner-occupied households with at least five years' residency; $200,000 to zoning and economic development for consultant, legal review and public engagement work to update zoning codes and study a business improvement district; $100,000 in the water department for consulting on water treatment upgrades and federal funding strategies; $100,000 for economic development research into non-tax revenue opportunities (EV charging feasibility, revenue-sharing partnerships, naming-rights marketing); $200,000 for municipal fleet leasing optimization analysis; $50,000 to expand community engagement (quarterly town halls, newsletters, email outreach); and a part-time communications specialist position budgeted at a suggested starting salary of $30,000 (salary cap to be set).

City Manager Sarges told the commission these additions would be accommodated through reserves and internal reallocations and would not change the city's millage; he said the net dollar amount of the amendments reflected roughly $2,080,000 of additional programmed spending to be shown at final budget adoption. Commissioner questions and public comment asked for transparency and more detail; the mayor said the city will expand public involvement through a citizen budget review committee and quarterly town halls. "We don't wanna decide for them. We wanna decide with them," Bordelon said about the committee process.

Votes at a glance

- Ad valorem millage ordinance (7.4 mills) ' Motion and roll-call approval on first reading. Roll-call responses recorded as yes from Commissioner Dr. Martin, Vice Mayor Louis Ricketts, Commissioner Bustamante, Commissioner Lewis and Mayor Bordelon.

- Annual budget ordinance (fiscal 10/01/2025'09/30/2026) with mayor's amendments ' Commission moved to direct the city manager to incorporate the listed amendments; motion seconded and approved by roll call (Dr. Martin, Ricketts, Bustamante, Lewis, Bordelon recorded as yes).

- Fire-rescue assessment resolution (fiscal year beginning 10/01/2025) ' Commission approved maintaining the current fire assessment rates for the coming year. City Manager Sarges explained the city assesses for the cost of fire service (state law allows assessment for fire) and that the five-year study used for prior assessments expires this year; the city will contract for a new study in October. The stated assessments for the coming year are $278 annually for single-family residential and $672 for multifamily properties; payment before the November tax deadline is eligible for a 4% discount. Roll-call approval recorded as yes from the five commissioners.

- Residential solid waste assessment resolution (fiscal year beginning 10/01/2025) ' Commission approved a residential solid waste assessment of $499 for the year. Sarges said contractual CPI increases for collection and county tipping fees (combined approximately 8%) will be covered from the solid-waste fund reserves so the assessment rate remains unchanged at $499. Roll-call approval recorded as yes from the five commissioners.

- Stormwater management utility assessment resolution (fiscal year beginning 10/01/2025) ' The resolution presented the stormwater assessment at $150 per equivalent residential unit (ERU). Commissioners moved to amend the resolution during the meeting and approved the amended resolution by roll call. The transcript records the commission's motion and approval of an amendment; the final numerical line-item reflected in the administrative documentation was noted by staff to be corrected before transmission to the property appraiser and tax collector. The meeting record does not contain a clear unilateral restatement of the final adopted per-ERU dollar amount in the public transcript excerpt; the final amended rate is reflected in the commission vote but the explicit numeric restatement in the audio transcript is not specified.

What the commission said and next steps

City staff said the second reading and final adoption of the budget will be held Monday, Sept. 22. Sarges said the city will forward corrected documents to the property appraiser and tax collector by the next business day to reflect any amended assessment rates. The city announced it will contract for a new five-year fire-assessment study in October.

The commission also discussed transparency improvements: the adopted budget will include program-level justifications, object-code expenditure detail and an employee compensation list; Sarges said the backup materials and staff salary information will be attached to the agenda when published.

Speakers who addressed the items included Mayor Bordelon; City Manager Mike Sarges; Vice Mayor Louis Ricketts; Commissioner Bustamante; Commissioner Lewis; Commissioner Dr. Martin; City Attorney Gary (last name not specified in the transcript); City Clerk Slattery; budget staff Laura and Sophia; and several public commenters identified in the record as residents. Public comment on the budget asked for clarity and transparency on the proposed changes and for more community involvement in budget decisions.

Ending

The commission concluded the hearing after roll-call approvals and scheduled the second reading for Sept. 22. Staff said they will make the numerical corrections to assessment documentation before submission to county officials and will post the expanded budget backup and compensation details with the agenda materials for public review.