[1.aTO2562 - An Ordinance of the City Commission Of The City Of Tamarac, Florida to establish and levy ad valorem taxes within the corporate limits of the City of Tamarac, Florida, for the tax year 2024; providing for the levy of ad valorem taxes in the amount of 7.0000 mills ($7.0000 per $1,000) based upon the taxable value on non-exempt real and personal property located within the city limits of the City of Tamarac; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date.]

THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO ESTABLISH THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

BEFORE WE BEGIN, MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE READ YOUR STATEMENT.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE REQUIREMENTS OF FLORIDA STATUTES, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO ANNOUNCE THE PERCENTAGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND THE ROLLBACK RATE. AS SUCH, THE FOLLOWING IS READ INTO THE RECORD.

THE TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 7.0000 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 IS 0.6081 MILLS, OR 9.51% MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.3919 MILLS.

THAT CONCLUDES MY STATEMENT.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY PLEASE READ THE TITLE TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2562.

YES. ITEM 2562 IS AN ORDINANCE OF CITY COMMISSION CITY TAMARAC TO ESTABLISH AND LEVY TAXES WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF CITY TAMARAC FOR THE TAX YEAR 2024, PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY A TAX IN THE AMOUNT OF 7.0 MILLS BASED UPON THE TAXABLE VALUE OF NONEXEMPT REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF TAMARAC.

PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND FOR EFFECTIVE DATE.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU.

THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED ON JUNE AT THE JUNE 20TH, 2024 BUDGET WORKSHOP THE PRELIMINARY MILLAGE RATE OF 7.4312 WAS ADOPTED AT THE JULY 10TH, 2024 CITY COMMISSION MEETING.

THE REDUCED TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF 7.0000 WAS ADOPTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2024, FIRST PUBLIC HEARING.

FOR A TIMELINE ON THE PROGRESSION OF THIS ITEM, PLEASE TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN ABOVE.

AT THIS TIME PUBLIC HEARING ON TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2562 IS HEREBY OPEN.

I HAVE KATE JOHNSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

IS THIS THE ITEM YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON? KATE JOHNSON. EXCUSE ME.

KATE JOHNSON, MAINLANDS FOUR.

I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING I SAID LAST TIME, WHICH IS ONE.

THANK YOU FOR KEEPING IT AT 7.0, BUT TWO, HAVE YOU GONE LINE BY LINE? I KNOW YOU'VE HAD BUDGET WORKSHOPS, BUT HAVE YOU GONE LINE BY LINE THROUGH EVERY AREA? BECAUSE I DID GO ON AND FIND THE BUDGET.

AND THEN BECAUSE IT'S A VERY INCOMPLETE BUDGET, I REQUESTED A MORE DETAILED ONE, WHICH I DID RECEIVE.

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IT IS STILL NOT FULLY DETAILED.

SO I LOOKING AT BUDGETS.

NORMALLY YOU GO LINE BY LINE, NOT CATEGORY BY CATEGORY.

AND SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO EVEN KEEP OUR MILLAGE RATE THE SAME, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU HAVE GONE LINE BY LINE THROUGH THE BUDGET TO DETERMINE IF ANY CUTS CAN BE MADE.

FOR INSTANCE, I KNOW THE FROM WHAT I COULD TELL, THE COMMISSIONERS GET $10,000 EACH TRAVEL.

THEY GET $20,000 EACH DISCRETIONARY FUND THEY GET, PHONES THEY GET THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN THERE THAT I WONDER HOW MUCH IS LOOKED AT, BECAUSE I KNOW LAST YEAR YOU DID $6,000 FOR DISCRETIONARY FUNDING AND IT WAS PLENTY.

BUT NOW WE'VE RAISED IT TO $20,000 EACH.

AND IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR OR IS IT BECAUSE IT IS REALLY NEEDED? SO THAT'S MY COMMENTS THAT I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.

THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER.

MADAM MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY THE PROCESS OF BUDGETING AND HOW WE GET TO THIS POINT.

THE CITY DEPARTMENTS GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF REVIEWS ONCE THEY GO THROUGH A REVIEW PROCESS, A DETAILED LINE BY LINE REVIEW PROCESS WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES STAFF.

AND ONCE THAT'S CONCLUDED, THE STAFF FROM FINANCE DEPARTMENT PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND CHANGES TO THAT PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEN AFTER THAT PROCESS IS TAKING PLACE THAT SAME REVIEW IS REPEATED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

THIS TIME WE TAKE THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET FROM FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND GO THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE WITH EACH DEPARTMENT, EACH PROPOSING DIVISION.

AND ONLY AFTER THAT SCRUTINY, WE PROVIDE A PROPOSED BUDGET WITH ALL THE DETAILS, LINE ITEM DETAILS TO THE CITY COMMISSION AT THE JUNE WORKSHOP.

AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS A RESULT OF THESE NUMBER OF ITERATIONS AND NUMBER OF REVIEWS, NUMBER OF SCRUTINIES THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH ALL LEVELS OF THE THE GOVERNMENT.

AND SO I'M COMFORTABLE THAT WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS, IS EXTREMELY VETTED AND SCRUTINIZED IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.

APPRECIATE AND ALL THIS GOES BACK INTO HOW WE GET THE ROLLBACK RATE.

EXCUSE ME? THE MILLAGE RATE FOR WHICH HAS BEEN SET IN ORDER TO DO THE BUDGET, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM? COMMISSIONER DANIEL, I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU AS SOON AS WE FINISH PUBLIC COMMENTS.

PUBLIC HEARING. I'M GOING TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO CLARIFY THAT WE DO NOT GET THAT MONEY PERSONALLY.

IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT ON PERSONAL STUFF.

SO, CITY MANAGER, YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO JUST CONFIRM AND CLARIFY THAT ANY INITIATIVE FUNDS I BELIEVE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE $20,000 IN IS NOT AN ITEM THAT WE GET INTO OUR POCKETS AND WE SPEND WE SPEND IT WITH REVIEW AND AUTHORITY.

THAT'S THAT'S CORRECT, MADAM MAYOR.

SO THE THE INITIATIVE FUNDS, AS WE CALL IT, THEY'RE SCRUTINIZED AGAIN, REVIEWED AND SCRUTINIZED BY THE CITY'S FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE BEHIND EVERY DOLLAR SPENT UNDER THOSE LINE ITEMS. SO THEY'RE NOT DISCRETIONARY.

THEY'RE THEY'RE, THEY'RE REVIEWED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? NO. SEEING.

SEEING NO ONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK.

THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.

I HEREBY MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO SET THE MILLAGE OPERATING RATE AT 7.0000 MILLS, WHICH IS 0.608 MILLS, OR 9.51% MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.3919 MILLS.

SECOND MOTION.

I HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER VILLALOBOS.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT.

WHILE WE ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY THE ROLLBACK RATE WOULD LIKE EVERYBODY TO PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE 7.0000 HAS BEEN THE MILLAGE RATE THAT WE HAVE HAD SET OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I BELIEVE IT WAS [INAUDIBLE] FOUR YEARS.

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SO JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF THAT.

SO CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL OH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT, MAYOR.

THANK YOU. JUST WANT TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE THAT THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT WE HAVE KEPT THE MILLAGE RATE LOW.

CITY MANAGER IN FOR FOR SERVICES AND PRODUCTS.

CAN YOU GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE OR GIVE US AN ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AS FAR AS PERCENTAGE GOES? COMMISSIONER DEPENDING ON THE CATEGORY OF EXPENDITURE THAT OUR EXPENSES WENT UP SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT. JUST JUST TO LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE THE BUFFER WALLS, THE BUFFER WALLS.

WE STARTED SPENDING ORIGINALLY $300, AND $400 PER LINEAR FEET, AND THE MOST RECENT BID CAME IN AT ABOUT $800. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A LINE ITEM IN SIMILARLY IN A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING A WHOLE LOT MORE.

OUR IF I NEED TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF WELL, WE'RE LOOKING TO CONSTRUCT A NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT CONTROL BUILDING.

THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS UNDER $30 MILLION.

AND I THINK THE THE NUMBERS JUST CAME IN LAST WEEK OVER AND OR ABOUT $50 MILLION.

SO TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INCREASE IN EVERY CATEGORY OF EXPENDITURE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE OUR SERVICES.

AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE GONE UP AND THAT EVERYONE IS FEELING THE THE FINANCIAL PINCH PER SE.

OUR CITY HAS MAINTAINED A LOWER RATE.

AND CAN YOU CONFIRM OR CAN YOU EXPLAIN OR MISS MAXINE ON THE SCALE OF THE CITIES IN THE BROWARD COUNTY WHERE WE ARE IN COMPARISON? WELL, IN TERMS OF THE MILLAGE RATE, I DON'T THINK IT DOES ANY JUSTICE TO RANK OURSELVES FROM THE MILLAGE RATE PERSPECTIVE ALONE.

BUT FROM A FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF COLLECTIONS, I BELIEVE WE'RE ONE OF THE THE CITIES THAT ARE ON THE LOWER SIDE.

AND SO I CAN DEFINITELY INVITE OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR AND OR OUR BUDGET MANAGER TO TELL, YOU KNOW, OUR RANKING FROM, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

BUT WE ARE ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE, OF THE SPECTRUM IN THE COUNTY.

THANK YOU. AND JUST TO CONFIRM, OUR LAST MEETING, MISS CHRISTINE HAD MENTIONED THAT LOWERING IT BELOW THE 7.0000 WOULD ALSO EAT UP OUR SAVINGS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO DO.

JUST FOR SAVINGS PURPOSES.

AND WITH THAT, I YIELD BACK.

OKAY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.

COMMISSIONER DANIEL.

YES. MAYOR GOMEZ.

YES. COMMISSIONER VILLALOBOS.

YES. COMMISSIONER BOLTON.

NO. VICE MAYOR WRIGHT.

YES. THANK YOU.

MOTION PASSES 4 TO 1.

THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW MOVING TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE 2563.

[1.bTO2563 - An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, adopting the Operating Budget, Revenues and Expenditures, the Capital Budget, and the Financial Policies for Fiscal Year 2025; providing for conflicts; providing for scriveners errors; severability; and providing for an effective date.]

THIS IS A SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC BUDGET.

SORRY. SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO ESTABLISH THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 OPERATING BUDGET, CAPITAL BUDGET AND FINANCIAL POLICIES.

BEFORE WE BEGIN, MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE READ YOUR STATEMENT.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I APOLOGIZE AGAIN.

I'LL BE READING A NUMBER OF LARGE NUMBERS OF JIM, IF HE CAN PUT THAT SLIDE UP IT COULD HELP.

BUT MY STATEMENT IS THE TENTATIVE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 IS $237,440, 300 WHICH IS $21,983,649 LESS THAN THE AMENDED BUDGET OF $259,423,949 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.

THE TENTATIVE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY FUND FOR PROVIDING GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES SUCH AS OUR CONTRACT WITH BSO, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND PARKS AND RECREATION, IS $100,567,590, WHICH IS $9,841,524 MORE THAN THE AMENDED BUDGET OF

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$90,726,066 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.

IN ADDITION, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES ARE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET.

THESE FINANCIAL POLICIES ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR THE CITY, AND THESE POLICIES SET PARAMETERS FOR OPERATING MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING RESERVES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, ESTABLISHING ACCOUNTS MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL PLANNING POLICIES, AND ESTABLISHING POLICIES ON ECONOMIC RESOURCES.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY STATEMENT.