Section 200.065, Florida Statutes requires all taxing authorities to advise the Property Appraiser of the proposed millage rate, computed rolled-back millage rate, and, of the time, date and place at which a public hearing will be held to consider the proposed millage rate and the tentative budget.
Florida Statutes state that no taxing authority within the county may hold a millage rate hearing on the same day as a school district or County Commission hearing date. The School Board of Alachua County is holding its budget hearings on August 2 and September 6, 2022. The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners is holding its budget hearings on September 13 and September 27, 2022. Therefore, the City of Alachua will hold its public hearings on September 12 and September 26, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the James A. Lewis Commission Chambers in City Hall.
The City Commission millage rate options are:
A) set millage rate at or below the majority vote maximum rate of 8.3710 - this applies to both the proposed and rolled-back millage rates; or,
B) set millage rate at a rate greater than 8.3710 but no more than 9.2081 - would require a two-thirds (2/3) vote at the September public hearings.
The City Manager's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Tentative Budget is being developed based on a proposed General Fund millage rate of 5.3900 mills, which is the same as that in the current fiscal year. The General Fund rolled-back millage rate is 4.9860 mills. The rolled-back rate is the rate that would generate the same prior year ad valorem tax revenues exclusive of new construction, additions to structures, deletions, increases in the value of improvements and annexations. The proposed millage rate is 8.1% more than the rolled-back millage rate. The final details of the budget and the City's millage rate will be discussed and reviewed at budget workshops over the next two months.
This action, in and of itself, does not set the final millage. A proposed millage tonight should be viewed as simply setting a ceiling, since any upward adjustment to the millage rate in September would require a new Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice to be mailed to all residents. This cost would be the responsibility of the City.
By adopting the proposed resolution, the City Commission authorizes and directs the City Manager to provide a copy of the resolution to the Alachua County Property Appraiser for use in preparing the Notice of Proposed Property taxes, as required by Section 200.069, Florida Statutes and to execute, as the Administrating Official, any Department of Revenue forms necessary to complete its certification.