Fort Lauderdale budget workshop spotlights proposed fire‑assessment hike and millage debate ahead of July deadline

The Fort Lauderdale City Commission and Budget Advisory Board held a joint workshop on June 16 to review the Office of Management and Budget's preliminary FY2027 recommendations, with the advisory board urging the commission to move the city to full cost recovery on its fire assessment and commissioners deliberating whether to hold or change the millage rate ahead of a July 2 deadline.

Chair Bill Brown, speaking for the Budget Advisory Board, said the board recommends raising the residential fire assessment to $444 to capture full cost recovery and to generate roughly $8.4 million in revenue to support fire operations and capital needs. “We are recommending support for the fire assessment fee to be raised to 444,” Brown said during the presentation, noting the increase would fund operating costs and items such as the Holiday Park fire station, according to LAURA REESE, director of the Office of Management and Budget, who explained the fee update came from a Stantec cost‑allocation update.

The board framed the recommendation amid what Brown called a “turning point” for the city’s budget: salaries and benefits make up a large share of the operating budget and assessed‑value growth has moderated from double‑digit rates to roughly 7–8 percent. The city manager and staff emphasized a prioritization of public safety, infrastructure and technology in the preliminary package and said they had identified roughly $3.2 million in revenue enhancements plus several strategic reductions intended to position the city for whatever impact the statewide property‑tax constitutional amendment might have.

Commissioners pressed staff on the fire assessment methodology. Commissioner Herbs questioned a three‑year capital recovery assumption for new stations — “That does not sound realistic to me. We have a 40‑year lifespan on a fire station,” he said — and asked the auditor to review the study. Staff explained the city’s current cash‑funding approach and said it would share the full analysis with the auditor.

Members also debated the millage. Commissioner Herps told the group he would prefer a modest decrease to show sensitivity to household affordability, proposing a 0.1‑mill reduction as a starting point; other commissioners said this year’s fiscal pressures make a cut unwise and that holding the millage steady was the more prudent option. Staff reminded the commission they must set the maximum millage by July 2.

City staff also proposed management options to reduce near‑term pressure and smooth out future years, including pension reserve smoothing, using CIP interest to offset capital, and modest fleet replacement adjustments. City Manager Raquel Williams and OM staff said they would present a detailed list of the $6.2 million in identified balancing ideas and bring expanded analysis to the commission before final decisions. The commission also requested additional detail on the fire assessment study and capital recovery assumptions.

Next steps: staff will provide follow‑up materials on the fire assessment methodology and the staff‑recommended balancing ideas ahead of the July 2 meeting where the commission must set millage and make related FY2027 choices.