The Doral City Council voted Nov. 22 to adopt a final property tax (millage) rate of 1.6912 mills for fiscal year 2025–26 and to finalize the general fund budget to reflect the lower revenue.

City staff told the council that a Nov. 14 letter from the Florida Department of Revenue said the council’s Sept. 17 adoption at 1.7166 mills did not meet a statutory two-thirds requirement. City staff re-advertised and brought the matter back to the council, recommending the 1.6912-mill rate and noting a related debt-service millage of 0.481 mills.

According to the city manager, adopting the lower millage will reduce Doral’s projected tax revenues from $66,680,947 to about $66,152,879, a decline of approximately $528,068. To balance the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, staff recommended and the council approved reducing the contingent reserve by $528,068; the city manager said the change would not affect departmental operating budgets because the reduction would come from a contingency line item.

Councilman Forrest recorded his opposition, saying the reduction did not go far enough. “I still believe that we should adopt the rollback rate,” Forrest said, adding he would not vote in favor of the rate as presented while thanking staff for moving quickly to remedy the compliance issue.

A motion to approve the millage resolution passed on the council’s roll call. The record shows mixed yes and no votes from councilmembers and the mayor announced the motion passed.

By approving the millage and the budget adjustments, the council ratified the city’s compliance steps described by staff as required by the Department of Revenue. City staff cited statutory compliance language read into the record during the presentation.

The council’s action on the millage was followed by approval of a budget resolution that implements the same revenue reductions and the contingency-reserve decrease. Staff told the council this approach preserves departmental operating budgets by taking the reduction from contingency funds.

Next steps: staff will return the ordinance repealing the prior budget ordinance for a second reading at the council meeting scheduled Dec. 10, where the formal ordinance adoption will complete the budget process.