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North Miami council keeps millage at 7.40 mills and approves $223.7 million budget, restores $5 million reserve
Summary
The North Miami City Council on a 5-0 vote adopted a tentative millage rate of 7.400 mills and approved the FY2025–26 budget, which the administration presented as a $223.7 million all-funds plan that restores a $5 million reserve and funds water system upgrades and centennial programming.
The City Council of North Miami voted unanimously to adopt a tentative millage rate of 7.400 mills and to approve the city's fiscal year 2025'26 budget after a public hearing and line-by-line departmental review.
Angela Reyes, the city's chief financial officer, told the council the proposed ad valorem revenue at 7.4 mills would yield roughly $45.04 million and that the all-funds budget totals "$223.7 million." She also said the proposed plan restores the city's $5 million minimum reserve and sets aside capital money for water-plant modernization, parks projects and right-of-way improvements. "In this budget, our millage rate is proposed to remain at 7.4 mills," Reyes said during her presentation.
Council members raised detailed questions about staffing and individual departmental increases during the departmental review that followed public comment. After those exchanges, the council adopted the tentative millage resolution (Tab A) and then approved the budget ordinance (Tab B) in separate recorded votes. Vice Mayor Timothy made the motion on the millage resolution, seconded by Councilman Charles; the council approved the resolution 5'00. Councilman Charles moved approval of the budget ordinance, seconded by Councilwoman Este9 Irvin; that ordinance also passed 5'00.
The budget document includes a return-on-investment transfer from the water-and-sewer fund to the general fund calculated in the package at 7.5% of the utility's net fixed assets (as of Sept. 30, 2024) and assumes an average water-rate increase of about 8.5% for residential customers to help fund enterprise operations. Staff also described the use of one-time and recurring revenue to support centennial events, neighborhood infrastructure and public safety staffing adjustments.
Mayor Desome and other council members emphasized the importance of being responsive to residents' immediate needs while keeping the city fiscally stable. The council left several details for follow-up, including staffing-cost breakdowns, the scope of certain capital projects and contingency plans if federal grant reimbursements do not arrive.
The next formal budget hearing was noted by staff for Sept. 25, when council will have another opportunity to amend or reallocate funds prior to final adoption.
