City of Miramar FY25 Budget Planning Workshop – July 1, 2024
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City of Miramar FY25 Budget Planning Workshop – July 1, 2024
The City Commission held a special meeting on July 1, 2024, to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget. City Manager Dr. Roy Virgin, Assistant City Manager Gail, and consultant Peter from Stantec Consulting Services presented the budget highlights, five-year forecast, and tax impact details. The proposed budget totals $400 million across all funds, with the general fund at $238 million (59%). No increase in the millage rate (7.1172) or fire assessment is proposed for FY25. The average homesteaded single-family home would see a tax increase of $61.71 per year ($5.14 per month) due to property value appreciation capped at 3% under Save Our Homes. Commission discussion covered exemptions, collective bargaining, police and fire staffing, and the potential impact of the Live Local Act on future revenues.
Presentation
- Budget Overview: Total FY25 budget is $400 million. General fund (59%, $238M) funds police and fire services ($118.7M, 50% of general fund). Other funds: enterprise (22%, $86M), internal service (13%, $51M), debt service (3%, $12M), capital projects (2%), special revenue (1%), subfunds (<1%, ~$2M). Overall spending increased by $19.3M from FY24, with general fund expenditures up 9.5% ($20.7M) driven by personnel (7.6%, $11.2M) and operating expenses (21.6%, $10M).
- Revenue Sources for General Fund: Ad valorem taxes (44%, $104.9M); permits, fees, special assessments (21%, $50.1M); other taxes (11%, $25.2M); charges for services (10%, $23.7M); intergovernmental (9%, $20.9M); miscellaneous (3%, $5.7M); other (2%, $5.3M).
- Millage and Fire Assessment: Proposed millage rate remains 7.1172 mills; no fire assessment increase. Average homesteaded single-family home (value $247,689, up 3% from $239,018) will pay $61.71 more per year. Typical commercial property (value $833,105) sees a $301 increase ($25.08/month).
- Five-Year Forecast (Stantec): Baseline forecast shows sustainable reserves maintained at or above the minimum reserve requirement (~$32M in 2024) with minimal surplus. A sensitivity scenario with 1% lower taxable value growth would require a 0.25 millage increase in 2026, costing an average household about $60/year. The forecast includes COPS grant for 5 new police officers in 2026 and 2027, FTE attrition (5 in each of 2026 and 2027), and Safer grant expiration increasing fire costs.
Discussion Items
- Fire Assessment Exemptions: Vice Mayor Davis and Commissioner Colbourne sought clarification on automatic exemptions from the city’s fire fee for those qualifying for five specific Broward County exemptions (low-income senior, long-term residency senior, combat disabled veteran, totally and permanently disabled, surviving spouse of military veteran/first responder). The city also offers its own fire fee exemption for households at or below 200% of HHS poverty level; applications must be submitted by July 31, 2024 (mailing sent to 734 eligible homes, only 10 applications received so far). Commissioner Colbourne suggested aligning the city’s deadline with the county’s September 18 deadline to reduce confusion.
- Collective Bargaining: HR Director Dr. Carlos reported ongoing negotiations with three unions, aiming to bring contracts to the commission in September for approval before the fiscal year starts. Budget modeling is used to assess proposals.
- Police and Fire Staffing: Commissioner Chambers expressed concern about adequate staffing for vertical residential growth and police vacancies. ACM Gail noted the city is addressing fire needs via CIP and using a COPS grant for 5 new officers (with a requirement to fill existing vacancies first). Chambers also favored cutting unnecessary services to fund critical needs.
- Live Local Act Impact: Mayor Messam inquired about potential revenue loss from tax exemptions under the Live Local Act for affordable/workforce housing developments. Stantec’s Peter agreed to model the impact after identifying qualifying developments from the city’s development schedule.
- Unassigned Fund Balance: Commissioner Colbourne asked about the unassigned fund balance; staff estimated $8 million after using $3.15 million in FY24, leaving a healthy reserve.
Key Outcomes
- The commission will hold a meeting on July 10, 2024, to set the maximum millage rate, fire and stormwater assessment rates, and schedule the first September public hearing (tentatively September 12, 2024) for the FY25 budget.
- The first public hearing for the tentative millage and budget is set for Thursday, September 12, 2024; the second and final hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 26, 2024.
- The FY25 budget becomes effective October 1, 2024.
- Staff was directed to explore aligning the city’s fire fee exemption deadline with the Broward County Property Appraiser’s September 18 deadline and to evaluate the revenue impact of the Live Local Act on future development.
- The commission emphasized clear communication to residents about how additional revenue from property value increases (without a millage rate increase) will be invested in community priorities.
Meeting Transcript
Yes, I'm ready to do what I rehearse. Awesome. Is Rap online. He said it was going to be online when we're going to do it. Oh really? Oh my god, I have to make sure we kick it in. Yes. He's watching, or he's available online. Like through teams or something. Do we have a team? I wouldn't. The clerk has a team's uh change. I'm a one that's right to it. We'll be starting momentarily, just waiting for IT to get everyone logged in. Good evening. Welcome to the meeting of the Myanmar City Commission workshop. This meeting is being streamed live at Miramarfl.gov slash commission meeting and televised on Comcast Channel 78 and ATT Uverse Channel 99 for the City of Myanmar subscribers. This meeting is now called to order. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the following the fiscal year twenty twenty-five budget. This meeting is open to the public, and at this time I asked F if the city clerk will call the role. Here. City Manager Virgin. Here. City Attorney Powell. Here. Now I will turn the workshop meeting over to City Manager Dr. Roy Virgin. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor Commissioner. Let me first begin by thanking the commissioners for our strong collaboration and fiscal work in relationship. Your vital role enables us to allocate resources responsible to meet the needs of our residents, businesses, and employees. In addition, I want to thank all the departments for working diligently to provide the necessary information to complete their budget. Who works tirelessly to put this workshop together. After which Stantec Consulting Services will present the five-year general fund forecast. These highlights include the health clinic. The city elected in 2021 to transition to a self-funded insured model, a self-insured model for health care services, and opened an on-site wellness center for the current and former employees and their dependents, realizing significant savings year over year, even as health care costs continue to increase. Net zero, our net zero campaign for energy efficiency measures citywide, projects utility cost savings with the installation of energy efficient lighting, AC systems, and controls to maximize efficiency in addition to the benefits to the environment. Our renewable energy program entails installation of solar panels that will further reduce emissions and result in additional utility and operational cost savings over time. We move to enterprise. The implementation of a lease-to-own replacement program employs a hybrid approach that takes full advantage of fleet modernization, efficiency, and reliability, resulting in savings on maintenance and fuel, and enhances the city's public image. So, what about housing and business? Through our economic development and housing activities, the city continues to seek funding and champion economic development prospects, preserving housing affordability and increasing business viability. The CARE program or the comprehensive assessment of revenues and expenditures is a 10-point city manager budget initiative launched to maximize the city's human, capital, and natural resources. This initiative includes the planning and implementation of revenue enhancement projects such as the billboards and ice cream vending machines in park facilities. Through the utilities department, we have embarked on a project to increase the capacity of the public quarter supply projected to serve over 150,000 persons in the year 2053, based on the city's rapid growth, in field development, and increased emphasis on mixed use and industrial development, positioning the city to meet water requirements for proposed budget projects in the near and distant future. Grant activity. These are due on July 1st. This gives us the final advalorm revenues for the city, which represents a minor increase of 6,100 from what is reflected in the proposed budget.
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