Apopka commission sets proposed operating millage at 4.6761 mills; rollback set at 4.2510

The Apopka City Commission voted 4–1 on July 27 to set a proposed operating millage rate of 4.6761 mills for the 2026 tax year and to set the rollback rate at 4.2510 mills. Mayor Nesta read the statutorily required TRIM statement describing the rollback and proposed rates and the date for the tentative budget hearing.

"The operating millage rate used in preparation of the preliminary budget of 4.9376 is 16.15% higher than the rollback rate of 4.2510," Mayor Nesta read as part of the compliance statement the commission used to frame the vote. After the votes on the rollback and the proposed rate, the commission set the tentative budget hearing for Sept. 3, 2026, at 5:15 p.m. in the commission chambers.

Commissioner Anderson voted in opposition to both the rollback and the proposed operating rate, repeatedly urging the council not to give taxpayers a "blank check" without detailed line-item plans. "I can't commit to a blank check," she said during debate, asking for a department-by-department deep dive and a public list of capital projects. Other commissioners said a modest increase is needed to address long-deferred maintenance and to avoid higher costs later.

The meeting record shows an initial recorded motion to set a higher operating rate of 4.9376 mills that was noted in the transcript as not passing; the commission then re-read the TRIM statement and adopted the 4.6761 mills figure by a 4–1 margin. The clerk announced the votes and identified Commissioner Anderson as the lone opposition.