Miami commission adopts tentative millage, approves tentative budget at first hearing

The Miami City Commission on Sept. 13 adopted a tentative millage rate for fiscal 2025–26 and approved a tentative city budget at the commission’s first public hearing, setting a second public hearing for final action on Sept. 25.

Budget Director Marie Gowen told the commission the proposal includes a proposed general operating millage of 7.108 mills (the administration presented that figure as the proposed operating rate during the hearing) and a package of property‑saving measures, including a $2.5 million set‑aside to trim the millage by 0.0284 mills and a senior rebate program budgeted at about $2.5 million. The commission approved the tentative millage and budget on first reading; the millage vote was unanimous on first reading.

The tentative operating and capital totals presented to commission members include an operating budget described in the presentation as $1.8 billion and a capital program of roughly $2.0 billion. Gowen described the city’s general fund as about $1.2 billion of operating resources and said property tax revenue accounts for about 52.7% of the general fund. She said public safety (police and fire) accounts for the largest share of general‑fund spending and that salaries and benefits represent about 77% of the general‑fund expenditure budget.

Why it matters: Adopting tentative millage and a tentative budget is the required step that allows the city to publish notices, receive public comment and return for a legally required final hearing. The tentative vote locks in a ceiling — the commission can adopt a lower millage at final hearing but may not raise it.

Key provisions and fiscal items discussed - Senior rebate: The proposed rebate would be administered by the city (not on the TRIM notice) and would target homeowners who already receive the state senior homestead exemption. Gowen outlined qualifying thresholds presented to the commission during the hearing: age 65 or older, household adjusted gross income of $37,684, residence for 25 years and a property value cap of $250,000. She said the program would be funded from the $2.5 million set‑aside and implemented as a city rebate check after taxes are billed.

- Property‑saving set‑aside: Gowen said the proposed budget includes $2.5 million set aside to reduce the proposed millage from the cap previously discussed to the 7.108 mills the administration presented at the hearing.

- Police hiring: The administration reaffirmed the commission’s direction to pursue hiring up to 300 police officers over multiple years. Gowen said onboarding and training make the ramp‑up longer than a single year and estimated a five‑year cumulative onboarding cost in the neighborhood of $161.3 million and a first‑year budget impact of about $3.5 million; she also said staff applied for a COPS grant the administration estimated could provide roughly $125,000 per officer (as described at the hearing) toward hiring costs for grant‑eligible positions.

- Capital plan and shortfall: The administration described a six‑year capital plan with total projects exceeding projected funding and a stated shortfall of about $837 million across the six‑year horizon. Major items shown in the capital schedules included resilience and public‑works projects, parks projects linked to prior bond approvals, and citywide pavement and stormdrain investments.

Public comment and commission concerns: Dozens of speakers addressed the budget during the public‑comment period. Common themes included requests for more spending on neighborhood parks and resilience, concerns that the budget places too large a share of resources on public safety, requests for funding for specific cultural institutions and social services, and questions about whether reserve or special‑trust funds should be used to support homelessness responses downtown. Commissioners asked for follow‑up information on program details, fund balances, and how particular funding lines were calculated.

Next steps: The commission set a final budget hearing and a second public hearing regarding the millage and final adoption for Sept. 25, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. The budget and millage remain tentative until that final action.

Quote from the hearing: “The proposed general operating millage rate is 7.108 mills for the City of Miami for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025,” Budget Director Marie Gowen said during her presentation.

Ending note: The tentative budget vote concludes the legally required first public hearing. Commissioners and staff flagged several follow‑up items — including more detailed revenue and reserve breakdowns, further analysis of the police‑hiring plan, and confirmation of rebate implementation steps — for completion ahead of the Sept. 25 final hearing.