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Auburndale tentatively approves expenditures, extends dispatch deal and accepts federal grant
Summary
The City Commission tentatively approved the proposed FY2026 and FY2027 expenditures (with a separate vote on a Chamber of Commerce line item resulting in one abstention), approved a one-year extension of Polk County Sheriff dispatch services with higher police dispatch costs, and accepted an $18,104 Edward Byrne JAG allocation for the police department.
The Auburndale City Commission on June 16 took several actions on municipal services and the city budget, tentatively approving the expenditures section of the proposed two‑year budget and acting on contracts and grant funding.
City Manager Jeffrey Tillman presented the proposed Expenditures Section of the Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 budgets, summarizing departmental operating expenses and non‑departmental expenses such as insurance, pensions, reserves and debt service. He said the proposed Revenue Section will be presented July 21 and the full proposed two‑year budget will be delivered to the Commission on Aug. 4; formal adoption is scheduled after public hearings in September. The Commission took a procedural approach recommended by the City Attorney and tentatively approved the Expenditures Section with the Chamber of Commerce line item (001‑6084‑579‑8100) considered separately.
On the separate Chamber line item, the Commission ultimately tentatively approved the line item by motion, with Commissioner Keith Cowie recorded as abstaining and filing a Form 8B Memorandum of Voting Conflict. The minutes record the separate motions and the abstention; the actions are tentative pending later budget hearings.
On municipal services, the Commission approved an extension of the Interlocal Agreement with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for Police and Fire/Rescue dispatch services through Sept. 30, 2026. Tillman noted the city began outsourcing police dispatch in 2008 and Fire/Rescue dispatch in 2010, with consolidated agreements adopted in 2013 and extended in 2017 and 2021. He said contract pricing now reflects a 20% increase for Police dispatching and that the Sheriff's Office will move to one-year contracts to align with market conditions. The proposed FY2026 budget provides $329,995 for Police dispatching and $44,069 for Fire/Rescue dispatching. The Commission approved the Interlocal Agreement and authorized the City Manager to execute the contract.
The Commission also approved the distribution of the Fiscal Year 2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. Polk County’s FY2024 allocation totaled $164,974; Auburndale’s approved share is $18,104. City Manager Tillman said the Auburndale Police Department plans to use the allocation for firearms. The Commission approved the distribution and authorized the mayor to execute the support letter.
In discussion on sanitation funding, Tillman said projected landfill cost increases make it likely the city will need incremental sanitation rate increases over the next five years to avoid relying on the General Fund; he framed these as smaller, continuous increases rather than a single large adjustment. The Commission’s tentative votes on the expenditures section set the stage for the revenue presentation and final adoption process this summer.
