City adopts nearly $900 million budget

The Ocala City Council on Sept. 28 adopted the nearly $900 million budget, while also keeping millage rates the same.

The council voted 4-0 to adopt the $891,324,121 budget.

This year’s budget is up from last year’s adopted budget of $817,129,466.

The new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.

The city also voted 4-0 to keep the millage rate the same on home

While the rates will stay at 6.6177, the city estimates tax revenue will increase by more than $1.9 million due to increased property values. Expected revenues should top $35.2 million this fiscal year, compared to more than $33.3 million last year.

The ad valorem tax rate remains unchanged since 2016. The owner of a home in the city with a taxable value of $100,000 can expect to pay $662 in city tax.

This year’s budget includes the addition of 13 sworn and non-sworn employees at the Ocala Police Department.

Salaries and benefits come from the general fund portion of the budget, which this year is more than $128 million up from $118.4 million approved last year. The general fund includes revenue from ad valorem taxes, utility service taxes and contributions from the enterprise funds based on charges for services, including electric, fiber optic broadband and sanitation.

This year, the city will fund salaries for the police and fire department at 100%, according to Tammy Haslam, the city’s budget director. Typically, salaries are funded between 95% to 98% percent to account for vacancies.

The move would allow the department to “overhire” for positions, Haslam said.

The budget also includes more than $42.7 in capital improvement projects. The 50 projects include $11.1 million for two phases of the continued southwest to northwest 44th Avenue program. The plan is to connect Maricamp Road to County Road 326 to keep local traffic off of Interstate-75. There is also more than $9.1 million in water treatment projects.