Apopka council delays water rate vote, approves 15% sanitation increase amid resident protest

Councilors on Sept. 3 received a detailed, five‑year financial forecast from financial consultant RAFTillis showing that Apopka’s water, wastewater and reclaimed water systems will need major capital investment and more revenue to pay for planned projects and increased debt service.

Blanche Sherman, the city’s finance director, and Sean Ocasio of RAFTillis told the council the city’s capital improvement plan for utilities has been reduced from an earlier, much larger estimate but still totals about $188 million over 2025–2029. A large portion of the plan — roughly $101.5 million — assumes future borrowing. The firm’s recommended rate path to pay operations, debt service and to begin rebuilding cash reserves is a 15.5% increase in FY2026 and FY2027 followed by 3.5% increases in FY2028 and FY2029.

RAFTillis said the recommendation balances growth, debt and reserve goals; it assumes significant borrowing to spread capital costs over asset lives and uses projected impact‑fee receipts where possible. Council members and residents pressed consultants and staff on alternatives, timing and whether portions of the capital program could be cut. The council voted to table the water/wastewater/reclaimed water rate resolution (Resolution 2025‑38) to allow more review and directed staff to hold a public special meeting on utility rates at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 to continue the discussion.

On the sanitation side — solid‑waste pickup — staff and RAFTillis presented a separate analysis that showed the fund had little available cash and was projected to run short without new revenue. The consultant recommended a 15% residential rate increase for FY2026 and a commercial‑class package of higher, container‑specific adjustments (an overall 25% revenue increase from commercial accounts in FY2026) followed by smaller annual increases. Council approved that sanitation resolution (Resolution 2025‑37) by a 4–1 vote; Commissioner Anderson was recorded in opposition.

Council and residents also discussed alternatives to rate increases, including reducing service levels (moving to once‑weekly pickup and removing curbside recycling). Consultants said once‑weekly service or eliminating recycling yields limited savings and can create other operational, public‑health and quality‑of‑life problems; staff noted seasonal and holiday collection impacts, wildlife and odor concerns, vehicle and crew scheduling, and the difficulty of restoring a discontinued service later.

The special Sept. 9 meeting will be used to review rate alternatives, proposed amendments and public comment before the council acts on utility rates. The council also approved a tentative budget amendment process tied to the rate decisions. Residents and council members asked staff to prioritize operational efficiencies and to provide more granular scenarios that would show the share of any increase used to restore reserves versus cover operating cost growth.

Speakers quoted in this report include Blanche Sherman, Apopka finance director (presentation oversight), Sean Ocasio, RAFTillis senior manager (rate study), and multiple residents who addressed rates and service. Council votes: sanitation resolution 2025‑37 adopted 4–1 (Anderson dissent); water/wastewater resolution 2025‑38 tabled pending further review and a Sept. 9 special meeting.