Special City Commission Meeting - September 3, 2025: Millage Rate and Budget Adoption
Special City Commission Meeting - September 3, 2025
This special meeting of the Sarasota City Commission, held on September 3, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall, focused on the first public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget and millage rates. The Commission considered six resolutions covering the city's general fund millage, debt service millage, and budgets for the city, the Golden Gate Point Streetscape Special District, and the Downtown Improvement District. Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich was absent. The meeting adjourned at 6:02 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Martin Hyde (resident): Criticized the proposed budget and tax increase, citing examples of city spending such as a "one-stop center" costing millions, a $900,000 fountain, a $80,000/year consultant, and a planned trip to Delray Beach. He argued that government expansion reduces liberty and that the budget is incomplete, noting that staff raises are not included. He urged the Commission to reject the higher millage rate.
Discussion Items
- Budget Presentation (5:35 PM - 5:45 PM): Financial Administration Director Kelly Strickland and Budget Manager Tyler Harris presented the proposed budget. The total proposed city budget is $303.5 million, with a general fund expenditure budget of $108 million. The overall city budget decreased by $2.1 million. Proposed millage rates were: general fund operating at 3.3000 mills (current 3.0000), citywide debt service at 0.1348 mills (current 0.1436), Golden Gate Point Streetscape operating at 0.6148 mills and debt service at 0.5899 mills (down from 0.6979), and Downtown Improvement District operating at 2.0000 mills (unchanged). Strickland noted that the Golden Gate operating millage requires a 4-0 vote due to increased assessed values.
- Commissioner Questions (5:45 PM - 5:56 PM):
- Vice Mayor Trice asked if any unforeseen circumstances justify the higher 3.3000 millage over the previously discussed 3.2730. Interim City Manager Bullock responded that no new developments warrant the higher rate. She also asked about funding for staff raises (still in negotiation) and Fruitville Road improvements (minimal $10,000 in CIP).
- Commissioner Ahearn-Koch clarified that the majority of any staff raise costs would come from the general fund (approximately 70% general fund, 30% enterprise funds).
- Commissioner Battie asked about fund balance levels. With the 3.3000 millage, the fund balance would be 20.4%; with 3.2730, 20.0%; at the current 3.0000, it would be 13.9% starting and 15.6% ending. The staff recommended a higher millage to maintain a safer fund balance above 20% given hurricane risk.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on General Fund Operating Millage (Resolution 25R-3339): A motion to adopt the proposed 3.3000 millage failed by a 2-2 vote (Vice Mayor Trice and Commissioner Battie voting no, Mayor Alpert and Commissioner Ahearn-Koch voting yes). A subsequent motion by Vice Mayor Trice to adopt a millage of 3.2730 was seconded by Commissioner Battie and passed 4-0. This set the general fund operating millage at 3.2730 mills.
- Vote on City Budget (Resolution 25R-3340): Motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Vice Mayor Trice, passed 4-0.
- Vote on Golden Gate Point Streetscape Special District Millage (Resolution 25R-3341): Motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Commissioner Battie, passed 4-0.
- Vote on Golden Gate Point Streetscape Special District Budget (Resolution 25R-3342): Motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Commissioner Battie, passed 4-0.
- Vote on Downtown Improvement District Millage (Resolution 25R-3343): Motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Vice Mayor Trice, passed 4-0.
- Vote on Downtown Improvement District Budget (Resolution 25R-3344): Motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Commissioner Battie, passed 4-0.
- Other Matters: City Auditor and Clerk Griggs announced that Slavin Management Consultants withdrew from the city manager search firm interview process and will not present at the September 9, 2025 special meeting.
Meeting Transcript
I'm not saying nothing more. When it gets to the road, it's all in good shape. So it's up to you to get it. All right, good evening, everybody. I want to call this uh September 3rd, 2025 special city commission meeting to order, and remind you to put your cell phones on silent, and I will call on our city auditor and clerk Griggs for the invocation. Please stand. Heavenly Father, we affirm our faith in thee. We seek your divine strength, wisdom, and guidance in the deliberations that affect the lives of each of the citizens of our community. And I name we pray amen. And I will ask Commissioner Ahan Cox to do the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which you stand under God. All right. And are there any changes to the order of the day? No, mayor, none. Okay. Um do we have an approval of the proposed agenda schedule? So moved. Motion. So moved. Thank you. Second. All right. Commissioner Bow Team moved approval of the proposed agenda schedule. The Vice Mayor seconded. If you will vote, Commissioners. Okay. Motion passes unanimously. Okay. Um you want to announce that Commissioner Orrit? Oh, um, yeah. Commit just that Commissioner Albreck is not going to be able to be here tonight. So I will ask the clerk to recite the pledge of public conduct. Thank you. We may disagree, but we will be respectful to one another. We will direct all comments to issues. We will not engage in personal attacks. All right. And then we're at citizens input concerning city topics. We have one speaker signed up for that, and that would be Martin Hyde. Accumulating. All right. Well, uh on something different from the subject of the evening. Yesterday, you'll recall, I brought up the uh proposed three-day trip to Delray Beach, which is costing Sarasota taxpayers on the front end for beach front accommodation and daily stipends, despite it being all inclusive of food and board, and potentially tens of thousands on the uh back end for legal costs, defending what is to me an inevitable open government lawsuit. Three commissioners, a deputy city com uh manager, a department head, and six members of one city advisory board, several of whom have close ties to special interests, being hosted by a former city manager and dozens of businesses with potential interest in city contracts. What could possibly go wrong? Such arrogance and indifference towards the appearance of propriety and our state's constitutional rules on open government are unconscionable and unforgivable. One might hope that the one point eight million annual fees paid to the city attorney or the eighty thousand a year you pay with taxpayers' money to your friend consultant would get you better advice. In any event, I come bearing gifts, seeing as you seem set on the act of self-destruction. I bought some disguises for you to wear uh to use in order to make the subterfuge less obvious. Put these on, and nobody will know uh what's going on in unnoticed meetings, 238 miles from City Hall with special interest groups.
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