Budget Hearing - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to our special council meeting. Today is September 8, 2026. The time is now 6.33 PM. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Nicole Reynoso. Present. Councilwoman Maureen Porras. Here. Councilman Rafael Pinero. Present. Vice Mayor Degna Cabral. Present.

Mayor Chrissy Fraga. Present. Mayor Yohap Juan. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilwoman Reynoso.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

OK, I don't believe there's any changes to the agenda order of business. I'll go ahead and open up public comments. The public comments portion of this meeting is now open. Anyone would like to speak on anything on this agenda or anything you mean to this council, please approach the podium. You have three minutes to speak. State your name and address for the record. Showing no interest from the public. Public comments is now closed. Madam Clerk, let the record reflect. No one has chosen to speak at this time. We'll go ahead and move into the public hearing items. Now, before we go into the public hearing items, I'm just going to announce that we're going to do this a little bit differently this year than we've done in other years. The clerk will go ahead and read the item into the agenda. I will open up public hearing one more time for the item. And then I'll turn it over to the manager. She will make her statements. which will then be incorporated to both item 5A and 5B. And we will have time to discuss after each item is read into the record. I'm sorry.

Madam Clerk. Item 5A, a resolution of the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Doral, Florida, establishing and adopting a tentative military tax for fiscal year 26-27 in the amount of 1.5994 mils, which is 0% greater than the rollback rate, to balance the general fund for fiscal year 26-27. Establishing the rollback rate to be 1.5994 mils. Establishing and adopting the debt service military for fiscal year 26-27 in the amount of 0.3600 mils for the general obligation bonds, parks and recreation projects, series 2019 and 2021. Providing for implementation and corporation recitals on an effective date.

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and open up public hearing for item 5A, also known as 26-6754. Anyone who would like to speak on this item and this item alone, please approach the podium. Being none, public comments now close. Madam Clerk, let the record reflect. No one has chosen to speak at this time, and I will turn it over to our city manager.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members. At the special council meeting on July 29th, 2026, Mayor and Council set the ceiling for the City of Doral's proposed operating millage rate for fiscal year 26-27 at 1.5994 mills, which is equal to the current year's rollback rate. The City Council also set a proposed debt service millage rate of 0.3600 mills. TONIGHT THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO ADOPT THE 1.5994 MILLAGE RATE AND THE 0.3600 DEBT SERVICE RATE ON FIRST READING. THESE RATES MINIMIZE THE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WHILE MAINTAINING THE LOWEST OPERATING MILLAGE RATE AMONG MIAMI DADE COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES. In addition, tonight, the city administration is also presenting for first hearing the city of Doral's proposed operating and capital budget for fiscal year 26-27, which is now taking into consideration the recommendations discussed during the August 21st budget workshop. As the administration presented at the workshop, the proposed budget is guided by a clear principle, protecting what Doral has built while preparing responsibly for what comes next. It reflects the City Council's priorities while preserving the high standards of public safety, municipal service, and quality of life that our residents and businesses expect. The proposed budget totals $147.2 million across all funds, a decrease of approximately $26.3 million, or 15.2% from last year's fiscal year 25-26 adopted budget. THE DECREASE IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO LOWER ONE-TIME CAPITAL TRANSFERS AND PROJECTED APPROPRIATIONS AND DOES NOT REPRESENT A REDUCTION IN THE CITY'S CORE SERVICES. THE PROPOSED GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS 110.1 MILLION WHICH IS ALSO APPROXIMATELY $7.4 MILLION OR 6.3% BELOW LAST YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR 2526 ADOPTED BUDGET. The proposed general fund budget is supported by approximately $102.7 million in projected revenues and the planned use of approximately $7.4 million in fund balance exclusively for one-time capital investments. Even after these investments, the city is projected to end the fiscal year 26-27 with over $43 million in general fund balance, with approximately $27 million above the city's required 15% reserve. This preserves Doral's strong financial position and provides the flexibility needed to respond to emergencies, future priorities, and changing economic or legislative decisions. CONDITIONS. THE CHANGE MEMORANDUM AND THE CALCULATIONS ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA AS PART OF EXHIBIT A INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP AND ARE MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE CHANGES AND THE INCLUSION OF THE DURALL EMERGENCY HARDSHIP GRANT FOR FAMILIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR CHANGES IN REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND EXPENDITURES ALSO DETAILED IN EXHIBIT A. As your city manager, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the members of the city council for their continued guidance and support throughout the development of this proposed budget. I also want to thank our department directors and city staff for their preparation and participation, and especially Deputy City Manager Frank Rios, Assistant City Manager and CFO Fernando Casamayor, as well as our exceptional finance department team for their tremendous work coordinating this year's budget development process. I will now turn the floor over back to the mayor and council for any discussion regarding the proposed millage rates and the budget.

OK. Motion to approve to go to the rollback rate and the debt service rate as recommended by the administration.

Okay, we have a motion by Councilman Pinedo. Second. Second by Councilman Reynoso. Is there any discussion on the millage before we go into the budget? Okay, being none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Motion to approve a tentative millage rate on the debt service millage rate for fiscal year 26-27 made by Councilman Pinedo, seconded by Councilman Reynoso. Councilman Pinedo?

Yes.

Councilman Reynoso?

Yes. Councilman Porras? Yes.

Vice Mayor Cabral?

No.

Mayor Fraga?

Yes.

Motion passes.

OK, we'll move on to item 5B. Madam Clerk, please read the record. Please read the item into the record.

Item 5B, ordinance number 202625, adopting the budget for fiscal year 2627. An ordinance for the mayor and the city council of the city of Doral, Florida finalizing and adopting the budgets for the general fund, the transportation fund, the people's transportation plan fund, the park impact fee fund, the police impact fee fund, the development services technology fee fund, the building fund, the public arts program fund, the debt service fund, the capital improvements fund, the Capital Asset Reserve Fund, the Vehicle Replacement Fund, the Park General Obligation Bond Series 2021 Capital Project Fund, the Stormwater Fund, the other Post-Employment Benefits Fund of the City of Doral for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 and ending September 30, 2027, as reviewed, modified, and approved by the City Council at the meetings held on September 8, 2026 and September 22, 2026. Authorizing the expenditure of the funds appropriated in the budget, authorizing the levying collection of taxes on real and personal property and other revenues necessary to meet the expenditures provided in the budget, specifying the methods by which grants and gifts are addressed in the budget, providing for transmittal by the city clerk, implementation, servability conflicts, and an effective date.

All right. I'm going to go ahead and open up for public hearing. This item is now open for public comments. Anyone who would like to speak on this item and this item alone, please approach the podium. This is for item 5B, also known as 26-6755. Okay, being none, public comments is now closed. Madam Clerk, I have the record of electing. No one has chosen to speak at this time. We will incorporate the statement and comments by the city manager into this item as well. The item is now open for discussion. If there's any comments, questions, concerns, now would be the time to do so.

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve the City of Doral's budget for fiscal year 26-27. Second. Second by Councilwoman Reynoso.

I have some questions. Yes, go ahead, Councilwoman Porras. Thank you. Madam Manager, just for the record, can you go over quickly some of the, exhibit a summary of changes to the proposed budget?

Sure. So the proposed budget changes have to do mainly with adjustments we made to all of the payroll accounts with respect to the changes in the insurance as we had the special meeting after THAT WE CALLED TO EXPLAIN THOSE. THOSE CHANGES ALSO HAVE LEFT A CERTAIN AMOUNT, ABOUT $454,109 THAT'S GOING INTO A CONTINGENT RESERVE. THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE GOING FROM THREE PLANS TO FIVE, AND WE ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT WHAT PLANS EVERYONE IS GOING TO CHOOSE, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE ESTIMATED AS BEST AS WE CAN WHAT THAT WILL BE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES. WE ARE ALSO DOING SOME CHANGES TO RE-ESTABLISHING THE DURALL HARDSHIP GRANT AND BASICALLY $25,000 THAT ARE BEING CHANGED FROM ONE ACCOUNT TO THE OTHER ALSO FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS credit card fees, and some housekeeping that we're doing, again, for the payroll update. We also removed some of the compensated absences and things that we found in the line item that were done to do that. So do you have any specific questions with respect to?

No, that's fine. I do want to add also that PP4K did absorb $211,000 that we'll be taking on programming for that has freed up in the general fund. That's where the $100,000 we project to reestablish the Rural Hardship Grants. I've actually asked for it to go up to $150,000 since we have $211,000. So that's one of the items that will come back in between first and second reading. I met with the administration today. between first and second, we'll make a couple of changes to balance out the $211,000 that PP4K is absorbing that is freed up in the general fund to be able to refund some of the things that were defunded. And that way, it balances out to zero in that change. But that will be in second reading change memo. Any other questions for the administration regarding the budget? Okay, if there's none, I think we have a motion and a second. I just want to congratulate, once again, the administration and the entire team, the finance team has worked very, very hard, had several meetings. And so, you know, it's great to see a balanced budget, well thought, prepared for, you know, taking into account all the services and quality of service that we expect for our residents. So we appreciate that. Thank you very much. All right, Madam Clerk, if there's no more questions, please call the roll.

Motion to approve ordinance number 202625 on first reading by Councilman Pinedo, seconded by Councilman Reynoso. Councilman Pinedo?

Yes.

Councilman Reynoso? Yes. Councilman Porras? No. Vice Mayor Corral? No.

Mayor Fraga? Yes. Motion passes. All right. We have an adopted budget. Well, first reading adopted budget for 2026-2027. If there's no additional questions, comments, or concerns, I need a motion to adjourn this meeting. Motion to adjourn by Councilman Pinedo. Second. Second by Councilwoman Reynoso. We will see you here tomorrow for our regular scheduled council meeting. All in favor say aye.

Aye.

This meeting is adjourned.