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Town of Oakland approves paying Orange County fire‑rescue increase, sets tentative FY25 millage and budget
Summary
At a Sept. 9 tentative budget hearing, the Town of Oakland commission moved to pay Orange County Fire Rescue’s MSTU increase in full, set a tentative millage and approved a tentative FY2024–25 budget; staff had warned the county charge would materially raise costs and offered millage scenarios and a multi‑year payment plan.
The Town of Oakland commission voted Sept. 9 to pay Orange County Fire Rescue’s recently announced municipal service taxing unit (MSTU) increase in full and to set a tentative millage and budget for fiscal year 2024–25.
Finance Director Gabby presented the tentative budget and outlined options the county offered the town after Orange County proposed raising its fire MSTU from 2.2437 to 2.8437. Gabby said the town’s general fund for FY25 is budgeted at $9,797,759 on the 6.9 millage approved in July and that, as currently presented, the package includes the full county charge and leaves about $33,645 after accounting for estimated revenues and expenses. She told commissioners the county denied requests to shift the charge to a volume basis or to grant a one‑year stay; the county offered, instead, a plan to defer a portion of the increase and amortize the remaining balance over three years.
“The general fund budget for fiscal year 25 is budgeted at $9,797,759,” Gabby said during the presentation, noting the number assumes the 6.9 millage and includes the full amount due to Orange County.
Public Works Director Mike Parker summarized enterprise‑fund figures and system capacity, noting that roughly $2.9 million in the enterprise budget covers operating costs for water, sewer and solid‑waste programs and that capital lines include grant and loan dollars for projects such as the alternative water project.
Commission discussion focused on scenarios for handling the county charge: keep the higher 6.9 millage to pay the county now, drop the town millage to 6.7 or 6.6 and use reserves to cover the difference, or accept the three‑year deferral that would spread an estimated roughly $300,000 balance over three years while future property‑value increases are expected to offset costs. Commissioners discussed illustrative homeowner impacts (Gabby reported example increases of roughly $105–$220 per year for typical assessed values under some scenarios) and the effect on town reserves.
After discussion a motion to pay Orange County in full carried (motion seconded; ayes recorded). The commission also moved and seconded actions to set the tentative millage rate, approve the tentative FY2024–25 budget with the discussed corrections and set a final public hearing date for the budget; those motions were seconded and passed during the same meeting.
The commission did not adopt a final millage or final budget at the meeting; staff will use the tentatively adopted figures to publish required notices and return the final budget and millage for commission action at the scheduled final public hearing.
What’s next: staff will prepare the required budget notices and the commission will hold the final public hearing on the date set by the motion (Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. per the meeting motion).
