Margate commission adopts 2025–26 operating budget, sets millage at 7.5378 mills

The City Commission of Margate on Wednesday approved a resolution setting the 2025–26 millage rate at 7.5378 mills per $1,000 of assessed value and adopted an operating budget for the period Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026. The measures passed by unanimous roll call after a public hearing at which no members of the public spoke.

City attorney David Tulsa presented the millage resolution, saying the proposed 7.5378 mills includes 0.4207 mills for voted debt service and that the operating millage of 7.1171 mills is 7.47% above the rollback rate of 6.6221. An unidentified commissioner moved to approve the resolution; after a brief comment noting the city has not raised taxes "at least the seventh or eighth year in a row," the commission voted in favor by roll call (recorded as Commissioners Rosano, Casciano, Simone, Vice Mayor Theriault and Mayor Schwartz voting yes). No public comments were recorded during the hearing.

The commission then considered an ordinance to adopt the operating budget for FY2025–26. Tulsa described the ordinance as establishing budgets for the general fund, special revenue funds, debt service funds, capital project funds, enterprise funds and an internal service fund for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025. An unidentified commissioner moved the ordinance; the roll call vote recorded affirmative votes from Commissioners Rosano, Castano, Simone, Vice Mayor Theriault and Mayor Schwartz, and the ordinance passed.

The meeting lasted roughly four minutes and adjourned; the clerk or chair announced the next meeting time as 6:30 (date not specified in the transcript).