Commissioner Melissa Castro proposes phased 0.25‑mill property tax cut for Coral Gables

Commissioner Melissa Castro laid out a four‑year plan at a Coral Gables town hall to reduce the city’s millage rate by 0.25 mills each year, saying the proposal would be funded by recurring, not one‑time, reductions in departmental “new needs” and renewal/replacement budgets.

Castro said the town hall’s purpose was to “break down how the millage works, show where your money goes, and present a responsible plan to reduce the millage rate over time.” She told attendees the city’s current millage rate is 5.559 mills and that the city receives roughly 31 cents of every property tax dollar; she said Miami‑Dade County takes about 32 cents, the school board about 36 cents and regional levies about 1 cent.

The plan Castro described would phase in a 0.25‑mill reduction annually for four years. She said the first‑year revenue impact of that single 0.25‑mill cut would be about $343,000 less than otherwise expected. Castro…