[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6475378,"mediaKeyId","5734439-b1e7ca48b344c35988c737788fc7f118","parentId",5734439,"title","Council keeps Boca Raton—s fire assessment steady, approves user‑fee changes including library billing grace period","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2674000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734439-b1e7ca48b344c35988c737788fc7f118&start=2674&end=2674","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734439-b1e7ca48b344c35988c737788fc7f118/thumbnail_2674000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475378/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Council-keeps-Boca-Ratons-fire-assessment-steady-approves-userfee-changes-including-library-billing-grace-period","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475378-b274ccdac48583437e90ff9bc92742d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011065&Signature=icEJxMDEMksyAzeZ~IkNpWu-BFFN99s-etKLu~Rl2~N7iyfG5Q9EbOS~o8X3SL02pMWPY3qIZmF7VyUkg2Wi7WXtBwGDH5EKyBwKLv9XM802fEcJ3V4BhKYWsy4MdwxDCu6twS3nWh9kZUpBGgeabz8EpeL~N8X5W9soOqEctGqaK68IeFfofqf1yJC84MMkrNsZjkvOxwYRt-PPFTot1UhJ3GnlkTfrvQ6wMhmD8UoRf-x9ohSam94PNiudaNmE0LzzwB-vDwChIVapwAIvD8utMEQbptuXHG7z2x5-E7L182G7pt1mKDLtm3riZqCWnqrViEtw4H1GNEAgquqUxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boca Raton","date","2025-09-08T17:46:00Z","article","Boca Raton — The Boca Raton City Council adopted two fee measures on Sept. 8, 2025: it left the fire assessment rates unchanged for the coming fiscal year and approved an amended municipal facilities and services user fee schedule effective Oct. 1, 2025, with several department‑driven fee adjustments.

Fire assessment

Staff told the council they recommend no change to the fire assessment. The adopted resolution maintains the residential fire assessment at $155 and keeps commercial and industrial rates unchanged. The public hearing on the assessment drew no public speakers and the council approved the resolution 5–0.

User fee schedule and select changes

Jean Michel Knott, internal audit and compliance supervisor, presented the proposed revisions and described the rationale: “The user fee schedule presents the fees charged by the departments to support some of the facilities and services that they offer.” Staff said the schedule takes effect Oct. 1 and that some increases reflect an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment. The city used the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI for urban consumers for the Miami‑Fort Lauderdale‑West Palm Beach region; the index for June 2025 was 3.1%, and staff applied that percentage to certain fees per the city code.

Selected fee changes highlighted by staff:

- Utilities: Water, sewer and stormwater rates are increased by the 3.1% CPI where the code provides for an annual CPI adjustment.

- Sanitation: Residential monthly curbside solid‑waste collection increases from $27.06 to $27.90; the multifamily container collection monthly fee increases from $16.38 to $16.89 (staff stated increases were set to help cover operating and capital costs of in‑house sanitation services).

- Development and planning: New fees and adjustments were proposed for annual report reviews and compliance monitoring related to affordable and workforce housing, and for certain public‑notice and administrative processing fees.

- Recreation and library: Recreation proposed increases for field rentals, camps and program fees. Library changes included removing video‑game rentals, adjusting overdue‑material charges and increasing some room deposit amounts.

- Parking enforcement: The financial services parking division proposed a flat $75 fee for certain life‑safety parking violations (examples provided by staff included vehicles parked on sidewalks and in bike lanes).

Library billing change and council amendment

Staff proposed, as part of the library changes, that when items are treated as lost or damaged the library would bill the replacement cost; if an item is returned in proper condition within five months the billed amount would be removed or refunded. Council members expressed concern about immediate billing for items that are frequently returned a few days late or that may be delayed because of travel or seasonal absence.

At council direction, the motion to adopt the user‑fee schedule included a modification for the library policy: the council adopted wording that delays billing as a lost item until a 30‑day grace period has elapsed after the applicable renewal period. Staff indicated they would implement the 30‑day grace at adoption; the five‑month refund policy described in the presentation remains in the schedule for returned items in proper condition.

Formal action

- Resolution 132-2025 (fire services assessments) — adopted 5–0. Roll call votes recorded: yes from Council member Drucker, Deputy Mayor Nacklis, Council member Thompson, Council member Wachter and Mayor Singer.

- Resolution 133-2025 (amended user fee schedule) — adopted 5–0 with the council amendment placing a 30‑day grace period before billing lost library materials. Roll call recorded: yes from Council member Thompson, Mayor Singer, Council member Wachter, Council member Drucker and Deputy Mayor Nacklis.

Implementation and timing

Staff said the revised user‑fee schedule will be posted to the city website and is effective Oct. 1, 2025. Multiple departments noted implementation steps: utility rate adjustments tied to CPI provisions in city code, sanitation billing changes for monthly customers and updated permit and event fees to improve internal consistency across departments.

Ending

The council adopted both resolutions without public comment; the meeting then adjourned. Additional implementation details and the full, amended fee schedule will be available on the city website when the changes take effect Oct. 1.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boca Raton - Tentative Budget Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council on Sept. 8 approved a resolution keeping the residential fire assessment at $155 and adopted an updated municipal user‑fee schedule that raises several fees (including CPI increases to water/sewer/stormwater) and includes a council‑directed 30‑day grace before lost‑item billing for library materials.","taxTitle","Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",3932,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6475383,"Boca Raton council adopts tentative 2025–26 budget, sets proposed millage at 3.6649 mills and releases $272 million in CIP projects",2243,801000,3044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5734439-b1e7ca48b344c35988c737788fc7f118&start=801&end=3044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5734439-b1e7ca48b344c35988c737788fc7f118/thumbnail_801000.jpg","/articles/6475383/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Boca-Raton-council-adopts-tentative-202526-budget-sets-proposed-millage-at-36649-mills-and-releases-272-million-in-CIP-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475383-d9be93affcaf6df406b2008310b6d68c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011065&Signature=kgKoJlmXyTJQV4gUDP1HbXqA0AZBsLjXAebezDN3oofpTGi~iULHd-Qd-9iiX2E5NWboOOhR~QCTOaRLXfg8xYzMWThHLc1Y6rni4u~WegMlOR2tEhUYQoax~iEG9ZoniYGI8XITzQajUvHT3wY9qtp4R~nveIM42uLVs6jw8MlG9AmvoiwJU~U8Rtbg8YYfkBYFDwO3vT4Pk9tBiwQKSU1~kZX3TtfFw6nXlALwBTn0AXominH-PGKbjjYibMb0aBxedlQuMeHUOOWXhhUVfZ7MbcrGk5NrfaiU05lpGbsL8w9jtWvPrRMdUHsFwK76gEy7nGHbrWAr~ctK9tWxVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boca Raton — The Boca Raton City Council adopted a tentative budget and proposed millage rates for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and accepted a six‑year capital improvement program that includes $272 million budgeted for fiscal 2025–26. The council approved the proposed millage rate of 3.6649 mills and the tentative budget by 5–0 votes during a public hearing on Sept. 8.

OMB Director Sharon McGuire told the council the proposed budget “has not really changed” since the workshop and that staff trimmed the general fund to present a balanced budget, noting, “we were able to reduce some expenditures by about $2,000,000 in the general fund.” Financial presenters said the city did not increase the fire assessment and kept user fees largely consistent in the package presented to council.

Why this matters: The council approved a tentative spending plan that does not draw down fund balance and holds the overall millage roughly flat. The city reported a rise in taxable assessed value — hitting about $40 billion, a 7.5% increase — which helped limit pressure to raise the millage. Council and staff framed the budget as balancing recurring operating needs with a multi‑year capital plan.

Major facts and council discussion

- Millage and budget: The council adopted a proposed millage totaling 3.6649 mills (3.6476 mills for operating; 0.0173 mills for debt service). The resolution cites Florida Statutes section 200.065 as the legal basis for the public‑hearing requirement. The staff said the proposed millage represents a slight decrease from the prior year’s rate (3.6734 mills reported by staff earlier in the presentation).

- Operating budget and reserves: Staff reported a net $2,045,000 reduction in citywide operating costs from 2024–25 to 2025–26 and a list of line‑item adjustments that produced about $9,500,000 in reductions to avoid drawing on reserves. The city’s reported current general fund balance was approximately $85,600,000 with available fund balance near $34,000,000 after reserves (including hurricane disaster and 10% fund balance reserves) were held.

- Accounting and timing questions: Finance staff explained differences between audited (full‑accrual) actuals and cash‑basis budgeting for capital projects. As finance staff put it, the apparent jump in year‑over‑year totals reflects capitalization timing, not a sudden one‑year increase in city spending: “the most notable difference between full accrual accounting, and budgeting cash based accounting is when we deal with capital assets and capital projects.”

- New programs and personnel: The proposed budget included several new or converted positions across departments (examples cited by staff included customer service, planners, sanitation and CRA positions), plus new programs such as a traffic infraction enforcement program (school‑zone speed cameras) and a community accessibility assessment program.

Capital improvement program (CIP)

Staff described the CIP as a six‑year plan for infrastructure and major equipment. The total plan cost presented is $1.2 billion, with $272 million proposed for FY2025–26. Major next‑year line items highlighted by staff included a placeholder amount for transit‑oriented community (TOC) redevelopment downtown, $10 million budgeted in FY2026 for initial police headquarters work and a mix of water/sewer, public‑works, fleet, IT and recreation projects.

Council members pressed staff on the TOC placeholder and funding sources. Staff said the TOC amount is a placeholder to permit future infrastructure investments in the redevelopment area and can be reallocated by the CRA board via a budget and plan amendment if a private developer does not advance the project. Staff clarified that the CIP is funded through a mix of sources — existing CIP allocations, utility revenues, CRA tax‑increment, building permit funds, grants and potential borrowing — and that most projects require an identified funding source before being included.

Formal action

- Resolution 130-2025 (proposed millage rates) — adopted 5–0. Roll call recorded: Council member Drucker: yes; Deputy Mayor Nacklis: yes; Council member Thompson: yes; Council member Wachter: yes; Mayor Singer: yes.

- Resolution 131-2025 (tentative budget) — adopted 5–0. Same roll‑call results recorded.

Discussion vs. decision

Staff and council discussed accounting treatment of capital projects, project phasing across years, and funding sources. Council approved the millage and tentative budget; council members reserved any formal amendments until the next meeting, consistent with their stated practice. The council’s approvals were tentative; the final budget and millage will be adopted at a later hearing after any recomputation or amendments.

Ending

Staff said the final budget hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the same chamber. The council adjourned the Sept. 8 hearing after completing the public hearing and related votes.

","The Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 8 adopted a tentative fiscal 2025–26 budget and proposed millage rate of 3.6649 mills, approved a capital improvement program that lists $272 million for next year within a six‑year, $1.2 billion plan, and approved a balanced operating budget with a $2 million reduction in citywide operating costs.","actionData","errors"]

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Council keeps Boca Raton—s fire assessment steady, approves user‑fee changes including library billing grace period

Boca Raton council adopts tentative 2025–26 budget, sets proposed millage at 3.6649 mills and releases $272 million in CIP projects