Miami Lakes council reviews preliminary special‑taxing‑district budgets; staff to show HOA options and per-household impacts

Vice Mayor Moreira presided over a special taxing‑district workshop on April 30, 2026, where council members reviewed preliminary budgets and proposed assessment‑rate changes for six districts, including Miami Lakes Section 1, Loch Lomond, Royal Oaks East, Royal Oaks Section 1, Lake Patricia and Lake Hilda.

Melissa, the town’s budget director, told the council these figures are preliminary and will be presented for a first reading in May and a second reading in June, with rates submitted to the property appraiser in July. “What to keep in mind, when looking at these preliminary budgets is that they are just that — preliminary,” Melissa said. She added that once a rate is set in June it can be reduced later but not increased before submission.

Melissa laid out the proposed changes by district: Miami Lakes Section 1 would rise by $8.43 per unit; Loch Lomond by $50.50; Royal Oaks Section 1 would be reduced by $110.50 (the only district with a proposed reduction); Royal Oaks East would increase by $70.10; Lake Patricia’s budget comment contained a typographical error and staff confirmed it should show a $17.44 reduction; and Lake Hilda would increase by $62 per household. Melissa said most of the adjustments reflect a move away from a higher contingency reserve that produced a one‑time rebate the prior year, along with inflation and modest increases in overhead and indirect costs.

Councilman Sanchez asked staff to walk through each district in detail and questioned why some assessments rose even when line‑item operating expenses had fallen. “What caused a special assessment to increase from $243,000 to $250,000 year over year?” he asked. Melissa and other staff explained that the prior year’s reduction in the contingency reserve led to lower assessments then, and this year’s figures represent a “leveling” back toward the funding the districts need to maintain current service levels.

Staff also flagged that several HOA requests and contract changes are not included in the preliminary budgets and would increase assessments if added. Examples discussed included a Loch Lomond request to remove and rebuild its guardhouse (moving the structure back from the median to ease truck access) and Royal Oaks HOA proposals for entry features at four locations. Staff noted SFM, the security vendor, has requested a 2.9% contract increase that is not yet reflected in the drafts and may affect final amounts.

Melissa provided rough estimates of cuts required to keep rates flat: approximately $6,800 for Miami Lakes Section 1 and a conservative figure of about $7,000; Loch Lomond would need a larger reduction (staff estimated roughly $9,000) to hold its current rate. The budget director also explained direct costs (the district liaison/coordinator apportioned by units) versus indirect costs (procurement, legal and town overhead) and said the town has previously kept the overhead rate for these districts below the typical municipal overhead to limit rate pressure.

On Lake Hilda, staff said operational spending is actually down because a water‑treatment contract fell from about $17,000 to $14,000, but the assessment rose because a prior higher contingency reserve was reduced to 5%, creating a one‑time change in available carryforward funds. Staff corrected a Lake Patricia comment that was printed as an increase; the budget note will be fixed to show a $17.44 reduction.

Council members asked staff to provide additional materials for the May first reading: a table showing per‑household cost changes by district, a historical rate table going back to the town’s assumption of services (staff said they can provide the history the town has since 2018 and noted county records would require extra public‑records retrieval), and a second version of the budget for each affected district that includes exhibit lines showing HOA‑requested projects (design/permitting estimates and an option for construction budgeting in a subsequent year). The council discussed financing or staging capital‑improvement requests such as the Loch Lomond guardhouse so residents can see options and impacts before a final vote.

Staff reported operational updates unrelated to assessments: installation of a TV monitor at 79th Ave will be active next week, a second monitor (donated by SFM) will be installed near the 162 guardhouse in Royal Oaks, and staff are collecting quotes for fish‑stocking species after last year’s storm.

No formal votes were taken on assessment rates at the workshop. Council instructed staff to present the assessment rates for first reading at the May 19 regular meeting, including exhibits that show how HOA requests would change per‑household assessments; the council may hold a follow‑up workshop after first reading if needed. With no further business, Vice Mayor Moreira adjourned the workshop at 7:14 p.m.