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Homestead council sets preliminary millage rate, keeping flexibility before final budget
Summary
The council adopted preliminary FY 2026–27 millage rates, lowering the debt millage and setting a higher operating rate (from 5.9604 to 6.3945) to create budget wiggle room during upcoming negotiations and hearings; council stressed the goal of avoiding a tax increase at final adoption.
Finance Director Carlos Perez told the council the city must set preliminary millage rates for publication. He said the debt millage will fall as property values increase while the operating millage was proposed to rise so the city could avoid an immediate shortfall in the general fund.
"We're setting 2 rates," Perez explained. "The operating millage rate ... is the one that we're proposing to increase from the current 5.9604 to 6.3945." He added the higher preliminary operating rate provides "wiggle room" ahead of budget hearings; staff said they will attempt to bring the figure back down before final adoption. Council members reassured residents that the setting of a preliminary rate is not an automatic tax increase: Councilman Roth told the public, "We're not raising taxes. We're setting the millage rate tonight. We're going to work with staff so that we can decrease that number back to what it was last year so there won't be a property tax increase."
After discussion the council adopted the preliminary millage rates by roll call. The vote authorizes staff to publish notice and continue budget work; final rates will be decided during formal budget hearings later this year.
