Southwest Ranches presents balanced FY27 budget, keeps millage rate unchanged and removes debt service

Mayor Bright Cruz and town staff presented a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget that the administration described as balanced and which does not change the town's operating millage.

Emil Lopez, a member of the town finance team who led the presentation, said the proposed general fund totals about $23,747,460 and includes no new positions. "We are not proposing any increases to the millage rate," López said during the workshop, and staff emphasized the town will not budget any debt service in FY27 because a previous refinancing and payoff removed the $578,438 payment.

Lopez said council previously directed staff to use $200,000 from unassigned fund balance to subsidize assessments (described below) and to allocate funds for a temporary structure for volunteer fire personnel required under contract beginning Oct. 1 (planning for FY28). The administration also described seven proposed capital improvement projects across general, capital and transportation funds and noted several projects will be funded by grants or other non‑millage sources.

The council set a first public hearing on the budget for Sept. 14 and asked staff to return with a clearer breakdown separating public safety from other operating expenses, a change staff agreed to include in the next presentation.