Edgewater sets tentative FY26 budget at $80.5M and holds operating millage at 6.33 mills

The Edgewater City Council on Sept. 8 approved a package of tentative fiscal resolutions that set the city's tentative operating millage at 6.33 mills and adopt a tentative FY26 budget of $80,516,543.

Finance Director Bridget Vassier presented the budget and explained that the millage rate is being held flat from the prior year; she said the recommended millage is required to support increased operating costs, a 6% wage increase and new staffing additions including three police officers, a police sergeant, firefighter/driver-engineer EMT, a full-time public information officer, an accountant, a parks and recreation team lead and a deputy city clerk. "This millage rate is being held flat from prior year," Vassier said, and staff noted the rate represents a 7% increase over the rollback rate.

Council approved several related resolutions by roll call: continuation of fire-service assessments for FY26 (Resolution 2025-R-16), tentative operating millage (2025-R-17), tentative debt-service millage for the animal shelter (2025-R-18), tentative debt-service millage for GO parks (2025-R-19) and the tentative budget (2025-R-20).

Why it matters: Adopting tentative millage and budget figures is a required step in Florida's property-tax process; these tentative numbers provide the framework for public hearings and the final budget adoption later in the cycle.

What happens next: The council set the tentative rates and budget for further public hearings and final adoption later in the fiscal process; staff said roll-forward of prior projects and large capital items will be incorporated at the adoption stage.