The Broward County Board of County Commissioners held the first of two required public hearings on September 5, 2024, to receive public comment and deliberate on proposed millage rates, budgets, and special assessments for fiscal year 2025. The total proposed county budget is $7.778 billion, a decrease of $117.6 million from FY24, driven largely by a reduction in capital spending. The general fund is proposed at $1.924 billion, an increase of $103.9 million. The aggregate millage rate of 5.6722 represents a 9.49% increase in property taxes compared to the rollback rate. The session featured extensive debate over the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) budget request and votes on tentative millage rates and budgets for multiple districts.
Ready to ready to start. Okay, good evening, everybody. I'm Nan Rich, and I am Mayor of Broward County. Can't take him anywhere. God. Okay, yeah, I know. Trying to round up the crowd. Okay. Tonight the Broward County Board of County Commissioners will conduct public hearings on the proposed millage rates, budgets, and special assessments that will support county services during fiscal year 2025. This is the first of two public hearings as required by law. The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments regarding the county's budget, tax rates, and special assessments, and to provide information on the budget and proposed amendments. The public hearings will be conducted in three sections. The first section will include public hearings on countywide and Broward Municipal Services District Area Millage Rates and Budgets. The second section includes public hearings on proposed special assessments for fire and garbage collection in the Broward Municipal Services area. The third section will include public hearings on the millage rates and budget for the county's dependent water control districts. An agenda listing all the items to be discussed and the order of the items is available at the entrance. If you are interested in addressing the Board of County Commissioners about any uh item on the agenda, please register with the county staff member at the entrance of the commission chambers. County staff is also available at the entrance to answer questions about the county's budget and taxes. If anyone has questions about property value assessment or exemptions, the property appraiser's office staff is available at the entrance as well and can be reached at 954 357 6830. Marty Care at VCPA.net or in room 11 on the first floor of this building from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. The last day to file an appeal with the value adjustment board to challenge your assessment is September 18th. If anyone has questions about the value adjustment board process, value adjustment board staff are available at the entrance also to discuss. With that introduction, let's begin. The fiscal year 2025 tax rate certified for the notice of proposed property taxes result in a 9.49% aggregate increase in property taxes when compared with the taxes generated from the aggregate rolled back rate. The rollback rate generates approximately the same amount of taxes as the prior fiscal year, plus taxes generated from new buildings added to the tax roll. The aggregate millage rate of 5.6722 as compared to an aggregate rolled back rate of 5.1804, includes all advalorum taxes levied by the county and its dependent districts except for voted debt service taxes. This aggregate millage rate is the basis for the state required advertisements concerning the budget and taxes. The rollback millage rate and the percentage change in property taxes are based on the assessment roles certified by the property appraiser. Countywide millage and budget. The budget here public hearing is open on the general county millage rate and budget. The proposed millage rate for general county purposes as advertised on the notice of proposed property taxes exclusive of debt service is 5.6389, which represents a 9.53 percent increase in property taxes as compared to a rollback rate of 5.1481. The proposed millage rate for voted debt service is 0.0301. When combining the above two elements, the proposed millage rate for all general county purposes, including debt service, is 5.6690, the same as last year. Monica. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Today we're presenting a budget for fiscal 25, totaling $7.778 billion, which is $117.6 million less than fiscal year 24. The operating budgets reflect an increase in the amount of $307.7 million dollars, largely due to increases in Port Everglades, transit, public works, and resilient environment departments. It also reflects a decrease in the capital budget of 1.193 billion dollars, largely due to the budgeting in the prior year of the Forensic Science Center and a lower tax surtax budget in fiscal year 25 due to Broward Commuter Rail South and large airport related projects also budgeted in fiscal year 24. Finally, there is a decrease in the debt service budget of $32.9 million. The general fund budget proposed for fiscal year 25 totals $1.924 billion, which is an increase of $103.9 million. The general fund regional Broward Sheriff's Office recommended budget increased by $49.3 million. As referenced in the August 30th budget memo, adjustments from the recommended budget were made, transferring funds from operating expenses, administration, community services and professional standards to personnel services and detention and community programs of 24.4 million dollars and to capital outlay for helicopters and administration. Community services and professional standards of 24.2 million dollars. These adjustments reflect the sheriff's priorities as communicated in his letter of August 22nd, 2024 to the Board of County Commissioners, as well as commissioner feedback and discussion at the budget workshop on August 27th, 2024. In addition, for the other constitutional officers, the property appraisers office recommended budget increases by 1.9 million dollars. The supervisor of elections budget decreases by $5.3 million million due to different elections planned in fiscal year 25 compared to fiscal year 24. The clerk of courts budget increases by 0.4 million dollars, and the budget for nine months of the tax collector is $8.6 million. That begins in January of 2025. Additionally, tax increment payments for municipal redevelopment continue to grow due to an increase in the tax roles, which is an increase of $9.2 million compared to fiscal year 24. Other recommended changes for the coming year are an increase in mental health for jail diversion of 0.5 million dollars and an addition of 0.5 million dollars for legal assistance for eviction prevention, an increase of $1.5 million for cultural local sponsorship activities, and $5 million for the county share of the Central and Southern Flood Florida flood resiliency study.