Oakland Park adopts tentative FY2026 budget, lowers millage and raises stormwater assessment

The Oakland Park City Commission adopted tentative millage rates and the city’s tentative fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing Sept. 8, approving an operating millage of 5.6979 mills and a combined debt-service millage of 0.511 mills, and advancing a $171 million citywide spending plan and a $34 million capital improvement program.

City Assistant Manager Andrew Thompson and Finance Director Rhea Rivera presented the proposal, saying the package reflects an expanding property tax base and rising costs for pensions, insurance and public safety. Thompson told commissioners the operating millage is the lowest in about 16 years and that the city trimmed its debt-service millage because debt levels remained manageable. He said the budget maintains general-fund reserves within the commission’s 20–25% policy and funds a stormwater implementation program tied to a recently completed stormwater master plan.

Why it matters: The tentative rates determine what property owners will see on Trim notices and are the next formal step before the city’s final budget and millage vote on Sept. 17. The budget funds multi-year capital projects — including parks, streets and stormwater improvements — and includes policy choices that will affect residents’ bills and the city’s ability to pay for long-term infrastructure.

Major elements and context

- Millage and overall budget: The commission adopted a tentative operating millage of 5.6979 mills and a combined debt-service millage of 0.511 mills. The full citywide tentative budget totals about $171 million; the general fund is roughly half that amount. Thompson said the property tax base has expanded for the 13th consecutive year, growing toward a roughly $6.3 billion taxable base.

- Stormwater and solid waste assessments: The proposed budget maintains the city’s residential fire assessment and recommends increasing the stormwater assessment from $125 to $138 per residential equivalent unit (ERU) to fund stormwater master-plan work and to support repayment of state revolving loans that will match grant funding. The presentation also said the residential solid-waste assessment is recommended to…