Ocala budget director proposes $1.15 billion fiscal plan; hearings set for September

Tammy Haslam, the city of Ocala budget director, presented a proposed $1,152,885,830 citywide budget for fiscal year 2025–26 at a council work session Tuesday, outlining spending priorities for public safety, capital improvements and enterprise operations and scheduling public hearings in September.

Haslam told the council the tentative millage rate of 6.6177 was adopted July 15 and the budget workshop was intended to provide information ahead of two public hearings: the first reading of the tentative budget on Wednesday, Sept. 3, and the second and final reading on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Haslam said the public hearing to adopt the city—s fire assessment is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11.

Why this matters: The proposal balances the general fund at the current millage while continuing large capital and public-safety investments and relies on multiple revenue sources that the council will be asked to adopt at the September hearings.

Key figures and structure - Haslam said the general fund totals $188,100,612 and is balanced at the tentative millage rate of 6.6177. She estimated maintaining the flat millage would generate $53,614,809 in ad valorem revenue next year, roughly $5 million more than the current year; after transfers (including about $3,700,000 to community redevelopment area funds) she said the general-fund share of that ad valorem revenue is roughly…