City of Miramar City Commission Budget Workshop for Fiscal Year 2026 - June 26, 2025
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City of Miramar City Commission Budget Workshop for Fiscal Year 2026
On June 26, 2025, the Miramar City Commission held a workshop to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. City Manager Dr. Roy Virgin and budget staff presented a $423 million total proposed budget with a $241 million general fund, highlighting department initiatives, revenue sources, and expenditure categories. Stantec Consulting Services provided a five-year financial forecast, projecting a structural gap in fiscal year 2027 if no action is taken on the fire assessment rate. Commissioners discussed millage rates, property tax relief, reserve policies, and the value of city services. No formal votes were taken; the commission is scheduled to set the maximum millage and fire assessment rates on July 9, 2025.
Discussion Items
- Budget Overview: Budget Director Raphael presented the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget, noting a net decrease of $23.6 million across all funds compared to the prior year. The general fund accounts for 57% of all funds at $241 million. Key revenue sources include ad valorem taxes (43%), permit fees and special assessments (19%), and other taxes (13%). Expenditures are dominated by public safety (51% of general fund) and salaries/benefits (70%). No millage rate or fire assessment increase is proposed for FY26.
- Five-Year Forecast: Peter Napoli of Stantec presented the latest general fund sustainability analysis. The baseline forecast assumes no changes to rates and fees, showing a growing deficit beginning in fiscal year 2027 due to rising costs (including expiration of the SAFER grant and new firefighter positions). A scenario incorporating a $5 million fire assessment increase in FY27 would stabilize the fund balance over the five-year period. Another scenario modeled a hypothetical additional homestead exemption (for $75,000–$100,000 value) that would reduce taxable value by $640 million and cut annual revenues by nearly $5 million, requiring offsetting adjustments.
- Millage Rate Discussion: Commissioner Sharizard requested modeling of a reduced millage rate of 6.95 (from the current 7.1172). The model showed that would create an annual $2.6 million gap, which would need to be closed through expense reductions or other revenue increases. Staff noted that most non-ad valorem revenues are limited or restricted in use, and significant cuts would affect service levels. Commissioner Chambers suggested starting early planning for the FY27 budget and launching a public education campaign on property tax value and risks from state-level changes.
- Fire Assessment and Utility Fees: Staff clarified that the fire assessment fee directly funds fire rescue operations and that without it the department could not operate at current levels. Commissioner Edwards raised concerns about high water bills; Utility Director Francois Domond explained that the bill includes multiple fees (water, sewer, sanitation) and that a rate study is underway; some fees may be moved to separate billing in the future.
- Reserve Policies: Mayor Messer and staff emphasized the importance of maintaining fund balance reserves (minimum policy level around $40 million) for emergencies such as hurricanes, especially given uncertainties about FEMA reimbursement. Commissioner Sharizard questioned what would happen if reserves fell below the minimum; staff responded that the city would need to reduce expenditures to match lower revenues.
Key Outcomes
- The commission will hold a special meeting on July 9, 2025, to set the maximum millage rate and maximum fire assessment and stormwater rates, and to schedule the first public hearing on the tentative budget (set for September 15, 2025).
- The final budget adoption and capital improvement program presentation are scheduled for September 29, 2025.
- Staff will continue to model scenarios for potential state property tax changes and explore expense efficiencies.
- Commissioner Chambers requested that the city develop a public awareness campaign about the value of property taxes and the risks of elimination or reduction, similar to previous successful efforts on the incinerator issue.
- No changes to the proposed budget were voted on; the workshop was for discussion and information gathering.
Meeting Transcript
Um, including Broward County, who also is um conducting a master plan study to look at all forms of trash disposal. Um, if you're gonna spend one point five billion dollars on a new incinerator, it just makes sense uh since you're at the ground floor to really to reimagine how we dispose waste. Tell me about Miramar. Uh give me the demographics on your community. You have a very large black population in Miramar, do you not? Yes, um, we're about 45 percent um black and West Indian, about 32 percent um Hispanic Latino in the balance is um the rest of our amazing residents. So uh being a majority black and uh brown community on their many civil rights and environmental justice issues that we haven't even really delved into yet. Well, I know you've mentioned that before, and I just want to ask do you believe that that there is an element of racism in the site selection for the airport west site? In other words, we'll stick it in their community, not ours. Well, I'm not saying that there's racism there. We're just saying that being a community of color, historically, um industrial sites that have um human risk and hazardous materials have oftentimes been placed near um those communities. We're just saying that Airport West, for many factors, not just uh the sensitive environmental and human risk issues, but as well as um what it would communicate in terms of just being a good neighbor. The initial uh report that made um the airport west site the preferred site stated that there were no residents near the site. Um it was not only a lie, it just shows the absence of just common sense in the Arcadis report that the mayor relied upon to make her recommendation to the board of Miami Dade County Commissioners. You know, um uh last week it came out that uh that there is a new proposal from a private developer that wants to try to do a land swap um on a site that is also near the Everglades, a little further south than the airport uh west site, but not too far south, still fairly close to Miramar. Would you be more supportive of that site? I think more accurately stated, um, this new fourth site is merely about a half a mile south of the airport west site. It still abuts the Everglades across the street from U.S. 27, which by the way, the Everglades starts at Lake Okeechobee and runs straight down to the Florida Bay. Um it it presents the same environmental profile as the Airport West site. So of course, um we we oppose it not just because of those environmental issues and challenges, but it's still just barely over a mile and a half from residents in the city of Miramar. The uh the you know, as you're encouraging folks in Miramar to show up. I think the county commission is scheduled to take this up in about two weeks. You're encouraging folks, you've also been trying to rally support within Broward County to make Broward County aware of what's about to take or could potentially be taking place on on their border. Do you see this tension between Dade and Broward? The fact do you think that Broward County has been disrespected by this process from Miami Dave? Well, what I will say is that Broward County um as well has to solve garbage disposal um in of itself. Um but what I can share in terms of support and and and solidarity, um, there's a very powerful coalition of environmental organizations that will be um released and announced next week that will stand with Miramar in opposition of not only Airport West site, but also the proposed fourth site. We're in direct communication with the Tropical Audubon uh Audubon, as well as the Center for uh biodiversity um in South Florida that say that Airport West and this fourth site just is not suitable. So we have a powerful coalition that will stand with us. Um we're not just threatening uh a lawsuit, we're fighting to protect uh, you know, sensitive environments uh that our South Florida ecosystem needs. There's already been documented um Bonnet bats um that are there. Um the um Everglades, um snail uh kite um also resides there. Um there are so many violations. What about our water supply more importantly? And finally, our water supply, the C9 impoundment area, airport west site abuts that for those listeners who may not be familiar with the C9 impoundment area, there's been over a billion dollars um invested by the federal government and the state in terms of water conservation and water supply that feeds all of South Florida. That's why this is so upsetting. A mishap, a catastrophe, uh malfunction of an incinerator that sits above and next to our water supply is unforgivable. You can't undo a spill. You can't undo this type of contamination. That's why it was just so uh misguided and alarming to see that this site is even being considered, much less a foresight that shares the a very similar environmental profile. Are you disappointed in uh Danielle Levine Cover, the Mayor of My Dade County for how she's handled this? I I I don't have a personal position. Um, I'm I know the mayor if she moves forward with this sort of a site. She seems to wait on it until after the election to make this announcement. Well, what she's she may have another election. Does she need to worry about that? Well, I can't speculate on the political pursuits of Mira Levine Kava. What I can say is that as a fellow mayor, our job and our responsibility is to look to look out for the safety and well be being of our constituents. This cannot be a more important decision on where to put this site.
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