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 be maintained at the current level; the transcript contained both a $340-per-unit and a $3.40 figure for residential solid-waste assessment. City staff told commissioners they will confirm the definitive billed amount in the final materials.

- Capital program and grant funding: The FY2026 capital improvement program is budgeted at about $34 million for next fiscal year, and staff said about two-thirds of planned CIP spending over the multi-year horizon is expected to come from grants and outside sources (more than $222 million in grant-funded projects across years). Major projects include Greenleaf Park (the former Omega Church site), improvements to Veterans Park and a Northwestern Lake stormwater interconnection project aimed at alleviating prior flooding.

- Cost pressures: Staff highlighted a roughly 22% year-over-year increase in pension costs in the general fund (about $2 million), continuing public-safety cost pressures, property-insurance increases, construction inflation and flat or weak revenues tied to economic stagnation. Thompson said two collective-bargaining units had reached tentative agreements and would be presented to their memberships for ratification.

- Staffing and business-plan initiatives: The tentative budget adds two positions (an external relations/communications specialist and a plans examiner/inspector) and lists about 150 business-plan initiatives valued at roughly $7 million. The budget also includes vehicle purchases and ongoing program funding such as the qualified census tract grant program.

Public comment

Property owner Carlos Machado, who identified himself as owning rental property in Oakland Park, spoke during the millage hearing and said the proposed tax delta would put “a big dent” in his rental cash flow. He said he saw no nearby infrastructure improvements to justify the increase and said higher taxes could reduce his ability to rehabilitate units and attract better tenants.

What the commission voted

Votes at a glance (summary of legislative actions recorded Sept. 8): - Adopt tentative millage rates (operating 5.6979 mills; combined debt service 0.511 mills). Motion approved unanimously (5–0). Referenced by: Resolution adopting tentative millage. (See provenance.) - Adopt tentative FY2026 city budget (tentative total about $171,000,000). Motion approved unanimously (5–0). Referenced by: Resolution adopting tentative budget. (See provenance.) - Adopt tentative CRA FY2026 budget (CRA tentative budget ~ $900,000; $570K transfer from general fund). Motion approved unanimously (5–0). - Consent and related approvals (approved as a block on the consent agenda unless otherwise noted): approval of minutes; catering/events agreement with Funky Buddha Brewery; engineering work authorization for operable sluice gates in North Andrews Gardens; piggyback purchases via Amazon Business under cooperative contracts; extensions to planning service agreements through Jan. 15, 2026; designation of the director of engineering/community development as administrative authority under Section 177.071, Florida Statutes (as listed in the agenda); agreement with Broward County Tax Collector for uniform collection of non-ad valorem assessments; purchase order for lighting fixtures for Royal Palm Trail improvements ($178,500); replacement of a historical marker at Wimberley Fields recognizing the South Florida Amateur Athletic Association; Fire Station 20 hardening guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and construction services agreement (GMP accepted — $1,593,167; budget amendment for owner’s contingency approved); preconstruction services agreement for Centennial Park Phase 2 (not to exceed $148,500); and others listed on the consent agenda. (All consent items on the record were approved by the commission.)

Implementation notes and next steps

- Staff will advertise the tentative budget and millage in the Sun Sentinel and on the city website as required before the final hearing Sept. 17. The city-manager’s office said a second public hearing on non-ad-valorem special assessments will be held Sept. 15 at 6:00 p.m. - Stormwater work relies in part on a state revolving loan fund; staff said implementation risk is medium because projects require design, permitting and matching funds, although large portions of the CIP have grant matches.

Clarifying details extracted from the hearing record

- Pension costs: staff said general-fund pension costs were about 22% higher in the recommended budget (about $2,000,000 increase). - CIP next fiscal year: approximately $34,000,000 in planned spending; staff said project rollovers will push the actual value of projects underway to over $50,000,000 when design, rollovers and construction are included. - Stormwater assessment: proposed increase from $125 to $138 per ERU (per staff presentation). - Fire assessment: proposed to remain at $382 per residential unit (staff presentation). - Property tax base: staff reported nine consecutive years of private development additions totaling almost $500 million since FY2022 and a taxable base reported at about $6.3 billion.

Speakers (attributions limited to those who spoke on the budget/millage topic) - Andrew Thompson, Assistant City Manager, City of Oakland Park (government) - Rhea Rivera, Finance Director, City of Oakland Park (government) - David Hebert, City Manager, City of Oakland Park (government) - Mayor Tim Lonergan, Mayor, City of Oakland Park (government) - Vice Mayor Steve Arndt, Vice Mayor, City of Oakland Park (government) - Commissioner Leticia Newbold, City Commissioner, City of Oakland Park (government) - Commissioner Ayesha Gordon, City Commissioner, City of Oakland Park (government) - Commissioner Budhu (surname as in transcript), City Commissioner, City of Oakland Park (government) - Carlos Machado, property owner, public commenter (citizen)

Authorities - type: statute; name/description: "Section 177.071, Florida Statutes"; referenced_by: ["consent agenda item listing administrative authority"]; notes: referenced in consent item language on agenda. - type: other; name/description: "General obligation bond series 2020 and series 2022 (debt service)"; referenced_by: ["tentative millage resolution"]; notes: bond series referenced when computing debt-service millage. - type: code; name/description: "Florida Building Code"; referenced_by: ["budget presentation (revenue restrictions)"]; notes: staff cited permitting revenue restrictions tied to the state code.

Clarifying_details [{