Pembroke Park pauses millage vote after published tax figures were transposed

The Town of Pembroke Park opened a public hearing on Dec. 1 to adopt a final millage rate of 8.5 mills for fiscal year 2025–26, but officials halted action after staff discovered the advertised tax figures had been transposed, requiring the notice to be republished before a vote.

A staff member read Resolution 2025-077 into the record, describing the proposed 8.5-mill rate and noting it is roughly 8.04% higher than the rollback rate of 7.8676 mills. The reading was followed by a presentation from the town manager examining the advertisement posted for the hearing.

The town manager said staff found Line 1 and Line 3 in the published notice had been juxtaposed and that the placement error—not the numeric amounts—triggered the legal requirement to republish. "Because of the fact that we published it this way, we're required by law to republish it and have you vote all over again," the town manager said. Town officials agreed the transposition produced no net change to the tax levy but nonetheless requires corrective steps to comply with state notice rules.

Town legal counsel and staff discussed next steps at the meeting. A town attorney urged staff to notify the Florida Department of Revenue and suggested that the town proceed with re-advertisement so the matter could be considered again at the next available meeting. "I would suggest, James, that you reach out to your contact person at the DOR," the attorney said, urging coordination to ensure the corrected notice is properly published.

Commissioners confirmed the town has a voting meeting scheduled for Dec. 10, and staff said they would aim to meet the three- to five-day posting requirement after advertisement so the item could be heard again. Officials emphasized the error was in placement of the figures in the published document and that the proposed levy amount itself remained the same.

Because the published notice contained the transposition, the commission did not take a formal vote on Resolution 2025-077 at the Dec. 1 session. The town indicated it would republish the corrected notice and return the item for formal consideration once the advertisement and statutory posting windows are satisfied. The meeting concluded after officials set those next procedural steps.