Special City Commission Meeting - Preliminary Millage Rate Approval for FY 2025-26 - July 29, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Special City Commission Meeting – Preliminary Millage Rate Approval for FY 2025-26
The Sarasota City Commission held a special meeting on July 29, 2025, from 2:30 PM to 3:34 PM to discuss and set the maximum preliminary millage rates for the City of Sarasota, the Golden Gate Point Streetscape, and the Downtown Improvement District for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. The meeting included public comment, detailed deliberation on the proposed operating millage increase, and a separate vote on additional millage rates.
Public Comments
- David Lowe (city resident) urged the Commission to allocate additional funds for improvements to Fruitville Road, describing it as a critical corridor for connectivity, walkability, and economic development. He noted only $12,000 was currently budgeted and called for a more significant investment.
Discussion Items
- Operating Millage Rate: Financial Administration Director Kelly Strickland presented a brief overview. The proposed budget included a 0.2730 mill increase (from 3.0000 to 3.2730 mills) to generate $4,777,942 and achieve a 20% unassigned fund balance reserve. Commissioners debated whether to set a higher maximum (3.3000 mills) to capture more revenue from anticipated property value growth (5.3% projected for next year) while providing flexibility to lower the rate in September. Vice Mayor Trice opposed a higher rate, citing ongoing hardship from storms for residents, and favored sticking close to staff’s recommendation. Mayor Alpert and Commissioner Ohlrich supported a maximum of 3.3000 mills, noting the additional $90.27 per year on a median home ($360,000 value) was modest. Commissioner Ahearn-Koch sought to balance capturing revenue with not overburdening taxpayers.
- Non-Represented Employee Compensation: Vice Mayor Trice raised concern that 96 non-represented employees who are past the step program and earning below area median income would receive no salary increase. She proposed a one-time payment of approximately $500 per employee, costing less than $50,000. Commissioners debated funding sources, including reallocating $50,000 from the Strategic Planning line item. Interim City Manager Bullock noted he could find the funds administratively, and the Commission expressed support for the gesture.
- Other Items: Commissioner Ahearn-Koch requested starting the new Computer Support Specialist II (Webmaster) position sooner than the planned six months, with support from Commissioner Ohlrich and the Mayor. Vice Mayor Trice requested workshops on budget process improvements and the Capital Improvement Plan. Commissioners also discussed follow-up on debris removal reserve policies and thanked staff for their work.
Key Outcomes
- Motion 1 (Operating Millage): Commissioner Ohlrich moved, seconded by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, to set the maximum preliminary operating millage rate at 3.3000 mills for FY 2025-2026. The motion carried 4-1, with Vice Mayor Trice voting no. Several commissioners indicated the final rate in September would likely be lower (e.g., 3.2730 mills).
- Motion 2 (Debt Service, Special Districts, Downtown Improvement): Vice Mayor Trice moved, seconded by Commissioner Battie, to approve the following preliminary millage rates: City Debt Service – 0.1348 mills; Golden Gate Point Streetscape – Operating 0.6148 mills, Debt Service 0.5899 mills; Downtown Improvement District – 2.0000 mills. The motion passed 5-0.
- Staff was authorized to communicate the approved rates to the Sarasota County Property Appraiser.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Oh, do you have your play in my hearing? So I know we got the loop system. I'll speak with you very quietly at times if I need the wireless mic. Be quiet, David. Is it can you can you say something? Can you tap? I'm just wanting to verify, sorry. You can just tap your mic. I guess Kathy can do it, yeah. All right, it's two thirty, and I'm gonna call the uh July twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-five special city commission meeting to order. And we'll begin by with an invocation by our city auditor and clerk. And I think we pray, amen. And if uh Commissioner Aaron Cox would lead us to the pledge. One nation, another guide, the indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Are there any changes to the order of the day, Ms. Griggs? No, Mayor. Okay, thank you. All right. Um we have public comment. Do not have any regular public comment, no. We have budget public comment, but not regular public. Okay. All right. Um we'll go to our first agenda item and our only agenda item. Um essentially, is the approval regarding the preliminary millage rate for the city of Sarasota, the Golden Gate Point Streetscape, and the downtown improvement district for fiscal year 2025-2026. And I'm gonna call on our financial administrator strickland to make the presentation. And while Kelly is bringing that up, Mayor, if I might. So the the purpose of the special meeting, as you have discussed, is to uh uh explore any changes the City Commission wants to make uh in the proposed FY2526 budget, and then after that, after your deliberation to adopt the maximum preliminary millage uh of the 2526 proposed budget. Okay. Good afternoon. My name is Kelly Strickland. I'm Director of Financial Administration. And I'm not working here. We have 50 slides. No, we don't. Oh my goodness. We really don't. We have two. That's two is better than 50. And one of those slides is uh a proposed motion when you're ready for it. Get out of it. Is the plug loose? I thought I saw no input. No, it's just the I don't know this computer, so I don't know how to make it. Kelly, I have a hard copy. We can just use the document camera if if you like. Okay, and we have hard copies.
openpublica.com