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DeBary sets tentative millage at 3.65% and adopts tentative 2025–26 budget
Summary
The City of DeBary approved a tentative millage rate of 3.65 and adopted a tentative operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26; council and staff said the increase covers rising public-safety and legal costs and startup expenses for a new recreation project.
The City of DeBary City Council on a unanimous vote set a tentative millage rate of 3.65 mills and adopted a tentative operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26.
City manager (name not specified) told the council the 3.65 tentative millage is 10.82% above the rollback rate of 3.2935 and recommended the rate “based upon the business reasoning, the Alexander Island startup, the increase in public safety costs, the legal costs are due to pending lawsuits, and the long overdue equipment needs.” The manager said the change would raise about $52 a year — $4.41 a month — on a homeowner with the city’s reported average taxable value of $199,857.
The tentative millage and budget must be set first under Florida statute, the city attorney told the council, and the council scheduled the required final hearing for a later meeting. The council approved both resolutions — Resolution No. 2025-13 to set the tentative millage and Resolution No. 2025-14 to adopt the tentative operating budget — by recorded roll call votes.
Why it matters: City leaders said the increase responds chiefly to higher public-safety contract costs, rising labor and materials prices, and one-time capital needs. In the presentation, staff said the city's law-enforcement contract will rise from about $4,310,000 to $4,670,000 and that anticipated additional fire-related labor increases totaled roughly $418,000 (a $300,000 projected increase plus an added $118,000 tied to labor negotiations). Staff also identified pending legal matters and capital items including a $200,000 one-time payment to order a fire engine and startup costs for Alexander Island as budget drivers.
Council members and residents expressed concern about the impact on taxpayers. Ron Navratil of 146 Margarita Grove said the combined effect of the millage change and higher property valuations left him seeing about an 18% increase in his DeBary portion of the tax bill and urged the council to hold costs down. Council members acknowledged residents' concerns while noting limits on the city's authority: several members emphasized that property appraisals are set by the county appraiser and that some services are contracted (sheriff and contracted fire services). Vice Mayor Butland said, “If we had our own police department, we would never be able to be at the 3.65. It'd be way more.”
Council members also described budget tradeoffs. Council member Papalardo highlighted that emergency-service costs rose by roughly $1.4 million over two years, calling that a major driver of the increase; other council members noted continued use of grants to leverage city funds for capital projects including a $110,000 ECHO grant for pickleball courts and a $1 million state grant toward a $2 million bridge project.
The council approved the tentative millage (Resolution 2025-13) and the tentative budget (Resolution 2025-14) with unanimous recorded votes. Staff said refined numbers and any minor adjustments would return to the council at the statutorily required final hearing.
