BUDGET REVIEW

TO2636 - An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, adopting the Operating Budget, Revenues and Expenditures, the Capital Budget, and the Financial Policies for Fiscal Year 2027; providing for conflicts; providing for scrivener’s errors; severability; and providing for an effective date.

The Director of Financial Services recommends that TO #2636 for the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget, Capital Budget and Financial Policies be placed on the agenda for the first Public Hearing on Monday, September 14, 2026 and for the final Public Hearing on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Monday, September 14, 2026, at 5:05 p.m., is the first public hearing for the City of Tamarac Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.  The FY 2027 Budget process began early in the year with the review of department budget submittals.  During meetings in May, the City Manager reviewed the budget and finalized his recommendations.  The Fiscal Year 2027 Proposed Budget was delivered to the City Commission on June 18, 2026. 

On June 22, 2026, a Budget Workshop was held with the City Commission for purposes of presenting the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2027.  During the course of the workshop, management provided information regarding the proposed budget, recommended an operating millage rate of 7.0000 mills and advised that during the intervening two months before the first public hearing on September 14, 2026 that staff would continue to fine tune the proposed budget. At the conclusion of the June Budget Workshop, the Commission directed staff to use the current millage rate of 7.0000 in the preliminary millage rate resolution for adoption on July 8, 2026.  Accordingly, a preliminary millage rate resolution with a millage rate of 7.0000 was presented and adopted by the City Commission on July 8, 2026. 

The City Manager’s FY 2027 Proposed Budget was revised as of July 31, 2026 to include desired changes discussed at the June 22, 2026 Commission Budget Workshop and thereafter. The FY 2027 Revised Proposed Budget was then redistributed to Commissioners and posted to the City’s public website.  TO #2636 incorporates the Commission’s directions given to staff resulting from Budget Workshops and recommendations as well as other adjustments as detailed below.

Following receipt of the Certified Taxable Values from the Broward County Property Appraiser’s (BCPA) office whereby the total taxable value increased from the June 1, 2026 estimate by $29,837,332, applying a millage rate of 7.0000 results in a slight incremental increase from the proposed budget of $198,418 in property taxes budgeted at 95%.  The Operating Millage Rate of 7.0000 was approved by the City Commission on July 8, 2026 via Resolution 2026-048 and transmitted to the BCPA accordingly for TRIM Notice purposes and included in TO #2636 for the first public hearing. 

The summary below provides adjustments by fund type that have been made following the two Commission Budget Workshops and reflects the preliminary millage rate in the Tentative Budget.

Overall, the Tentative Budget of $231,411,465 is $3,041,542 less than the July 31, 2026 City Manager’s revised proposed budget of $234,453,007, or a 1.30% decrease. 

The General Fund Tentative Budget is $101,829,475 which is $3,174,519 less than the City Manager’s revised proposed budget of $105,003,994.  The General Fund adjustments to revenues are shown below.

The General Fund adjustments to expenditures are as follows:

The Tentative Budget for all Other Fund Categories, that includes Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects, Enterprise and Internal Service Funds, is $129,581,990 which is $132,977 more than the City Manager’s revised proposed budget of $129,449,013 and the adjustments are as follows:

• Special Revenue Funds
• Local Option Gas Tax Fund – An increase of $1,000,000 to transfers out to the Roadway and Median Improvement Fund and a decrease of $1,000,000 to reserves. (no net change)   

• Capital Project Funds
• Roadway and Median Improvement Fund - A decrease of $1,000,000 to the transfer in from the General Fund and an increase of $1,000,000 to the transfer in from the Local Option Gas Tax Fund. (no net change)

• Enterprise Funds:
• Stormwater Management Fund - $132,977 net increase that results from increasing payment in lieu of taxes $7,979 to align with the preliminary Stormwater Assessment Rate and increasing contingency for special projects $124,998 to balance the fund for added revenue that would be generated from the preliminary Stormwater Assessment Rate.

Temporary Ordinance #2636 adopts the budgets for all budgeted City funds as well as the Capital Budget and Financial Policies.  The first public hearing will be held on September 14, 2026 at 5:05 p.m. to adopt the tentative budget and the second public hearing will be held on September 23, 2026, at 5:05 p.m. for the adoption of the final budget.

State law requires that municipalities set a tentative budget at the first Public Hearing and adopt a final budget at a second Public Hearing.