Miami Lakes council sets tentative millage at flat rate of 2.1577 mills

The Miami Lakes Town Council voted to approve a tentative millage rate of 2.1577 mills, moving the town into the formal advertisement and budgeting steps for fiscal year 2027. The motion passed on a roll call vote, 4 in favor and 1 opposed.

Manager Peterman introduced the item as a council-directed proposal to start the budget process at a flat millage rate and to set dates for public hearings in September. A staff member read the resolution into the record, citing section 200.065 of the Florida Statutes and related rollback computations. Peterman clarified that "this is not the final setting of the millage" and that the final adopted rate will be set during the September hearings.

Vice Mayor Moreira, who seconded the motion, argued the flat-rate start gives the council room to look for cuts without immediately reducing services, noting that doing nothing would amount to "a dollar and change a month for the average resident" and that moving to a rollback would yield roughly "$3 a month of savings and a loss of about $600,000 in income to, in, revenues." Councilmembers broadly supported the approach while noting staff will continue to seek specific cuts.

Councilmember Garcia proposed a friendly amendment to return to the town's prior flat rate as a more aggressive starting point to force cuts, but the amendment failed for lack of a second. The council then approved the main motion by roll call: Garcia voted No; Herzberg, Sanchez, Moreira and the Mayor voted Yes. The council set the tentative millage at 2.1577 mills and authorized advertisement for the FY 2027 budget process.