Hollywood CRA Special Meeting & FY 2026 Budget Hearing - September 25, 2025
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Hollywood CRA Special Meeting & FY 2026 Budget Hearing - September 25, 2025
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 6:30 PM (meeting began shortly after 7:00 PM due to a prior city budget hearing), the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board held a special public budget hearing in the Commission Chambers at City Hall. The Board considered and unanimously adopted the FY 2026 budgets for the Beach and Downtown CRA districts, as well as the authorized positions resolution. The meeting featured a detailed presentation by Executive Director George R. Keller Jr. and Assistant City Manager Adam Reichbeck, followed by board discussion on the transition of CRA operations to the city and the future use of freed-up tax increment funds.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the hearing. However, Executive Director Keller addressed four written questions submitted prior to the meeting by the Beach Civic Association (originating from Bob Blickman). These included: (1) clarification that funding for the vacant Executive Director position was not being held in the operating budget—the salary was dispersed to other operations and improvements; (2) confirmation that funding remains in the budget for flap gates and repairing broken drainage pipes; (3) acknowledgment of concern about raising electrical boxes, with waterproofing already completed; and (4) reference to a pilot project for 19th and 20th street one-way and parking changes, for which estimates and funding were included.
Discussion Items
- Presentation of FY 2026 Budgets: Assistant City Manager Adam Reichbeck presented the proposed budgets. For the Beach District, taxable value reached just over $4.8 billion (a 3.78% increase over FY 2025), generating $55 million in tax increment funding (TIF). After a 25% refund to taxing authorities (City of Hollywood receiving almost $8 million, Broward County over $6 million), net TIF revenue was $40.8 million. The Beach CRA total budget is $107 million, with $68.3 million for capital projects (including undergrounding, resiliency, pump stations, and Charno Park renovations with a splash pad) and $38.8 million for operations (including $12.3 million for enhanced services: $7.9 million for community policing and $4.4 million for beach safety). For the Downtown District, which becomes TIF-less on September 30, 2025, FY 2026 is the first year with no new TIF revenue. However, Broward County will provide $3 million per year for five years via the ILA. The Downtown CRA budget totals $3 million in operations plus a carry-forward of nearly $20 million for capital projects (e.g., Tyler Street sidewalk repairs, alleyway drainage, Harrison Street Streetscape, $4.8 million for the Hollywood Beach Golf Course Clubhouse, and $1.2 million for Arts Park splash pad).
- Staff Transition: Fifteen filled positions were transferred to the city during FY 2025. For FY 2026, the vacant Executive Director position and four part-time positions are proposed to be eliminated, leaving three full-time positions (Deputy Director, Senior Project Manager, Executive Assistant) and two part-time positions (Senior Project Manager and Engineering Inspector).
- Board Questions and Discussion:
- Board Member Shuham requested assurance that enhanced services (police and beach safety) funded by the CRA would be maintained after the CRA sunsets. Chair Levy and City Manager stated that those services would be maintained at the same level or better, noting that the city currently contributes $30 million to the beach area, which will be repatriated to the general fund, covering the $12 million enhanced services and more.
- Board Member Biederman asked about the VAC truck (confirmed it is in a separate equipment line) and requested a breakdown of how the money from the former Downtown CRA would be distributed to other parts of the city. He also asked for a comparison of the increase in taxable property value in the beach district.
- Vice Chair Quintana raised concerns about fading downtown murals and asked for a plan to maintain them. Executive Director Keller noted that the city's portion of the refund after the downtown CRA ends will be $7,985,924.
- Board Member Callari asked for clarification on how funds previously dedicated to CRA areas will now be used citywide. She emphasized that the entire city should benefit from the increased property values generated by CRA investments and expressed concern that maintaining high standards in the beach and downtown should not become a burden on citywide taxpayers. Chair Levy and City Manager responded that the general fund will absorb these costs, and that the city is committed to maintaining enhanced services while also addressing needs in other areas. They noted that the city's FY 2026 budget includes about $8 million annually for citywide replacement and renewal (fire apparatus, parks, HVAC, etc.). They also suggested the possibility of creating a special blight-fighting fund from the freed-up dollars, though the current budget does not designate one.
- Board Member Hernandez (participating virtually) stated he was okay with the budget as presented.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval of the Beach CRA FY 2026 Budget (Resolution R-CRA-2025-36): Motion by Board Member Callari, second by Board Member Shuham. All ayes, no opposition. The budget adopts $107 million in appropriations for the Beach District.
- Unanimous Approval of the Downtown CRA FY 2026 Budget (Resolution R-CRA-2025-37): Motion by Board Member Callari, second by Board Member Gruber. All ayes, no opposition. The budget adopts appropriations for the Downtown District, including the $3 million county payment and carry-forward funds.
- Unanimous Approval of Authorized Positions for FY 2026 (Resolution R-CRA-2025-38): Motion by Board Member Callari, second by Board Member Shuham. All ayes, no opposition. The resolution establishes three full-time and two part-time positions as presented.
- Directives and Next Steps: The board directed staff to provide a detailed breakdown of how the Downtown CRA’s freed-up funds (approximately $7.9 million annually) will be allocated citywide, and to provide a comparison of the year-over-year increase in beach district taxable property values. Staff also noted that a plan for maintaining downtown murals will be developed.
Meeting Transcript
All right. We are on the air, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome uh to those uh who are just joining us to City Hall. It is Wednesday, September 25th, 2025, a little bit past six thirty PM, a little bit past seven PM. Um but we're here for a CRA public budget hearing. As you might know, we had two recent budget hearings, including a few minutes ago with our second city budget hearing, and now we'll do the same for our community redevelopment agencies. Uh let's go ahead uh with the Pledge of Allegiance, please rise. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, one God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, ladies and gentlemen. Royal call, please. Board member Shoeham. Here, need to take some. Here we go. Board Mamba Biedman. Here, Chair Levy. Here. Thank you so much. Uh I'd like to please ask for a motion to uh accept board member Hernandez's virtual participation. Motion by Commissioner Clary, second by um board member Biederman. Uh all those in favor say aye. Aye, any opposed, hearing none. Peter, you are officially participating virtually. Thank you, sir. Although we hear you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, uh, Mr. Executive Director, uh, I'd like to invite you to present uh the proposed budget for the beach and downtown districts for the CRA for the fiscal year 25 through 26. Th thank you, Mr. Chair, Vice Chair and Board members, uh and to all the members of the the public and staff who are in attendance tonight. Um uh thank you first of all to um to Susan Goldberg and the staff of the CRA um for um all their continued effort. Uh the transition has uh gone quite well. We've been talking about for years and it's it's happened now. So we have um only three full-time and three part-time positions remaining now on the operating side with the uh with the CRA budget. And uh Susan and the rest of the staff, much like um Adam and um Chris and Jovon and Ray Lynn allow me to work with them every day, so I appreciate that. And so it's it's uh it's been a good partnership and it's it's gone well. Um obviously within days the downtown district becomes TIFS, and then each year for five years successive, we will uh receive three million dollars a year of continuing funding there. And then in less than two years, the beach district uh goes TIFLess and we'll receive one point seven five mil a year for ten years following to be used for affordable housing. So just in terms of of where that leaves us. So obviously light on the operating expenses now, much have been absorbed into the city, but heavy on a lot of capital projects that remain to be completed or obligated within the next less than two years to ensure that we are retaining and making use of that. Um so we'll go through that in in detail tonight and then obviously room for for questions and discussion on that. Um there were some uh issues that were sent in writing prior to the meeting from the beach um civic association, I believe it was. I'm sorry. Yes. Bob Blickman's originated with him, right? One of them, there were four points. One that had related to um money being um tied up with the uh the funding of the uh executive director position for the CRA. I spoke directly to him, and he's cheap, so he's not taking any money, so none of that's tied up there in the operating expenses.
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