City Council - Special Meeting

Everyone, good afternoon. Today is Wednesday, July 28th, 2026. The time is now 6 p.m. And we are about to start our proposed millage rate fiscal year meeting. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Councilwoman Corrinoso.

Thank you. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilman Pinero.

Okay, I don't believe there's any changes to the agenda order of business.

We will now open the public comments portion of this meeting. Anyone who would like to speak on anything germane to this council or on this agenda, please approach the podium. I will start with those who have pre-filled a registration, and then I will go ahead and open it to anyone who would like to speak for their reasonable opportunity. We ask that you please in compliance with the city code, keep a respectful manner in your comments and address the entire body. We'll go ahead and start with Mr. Jose Dons. Name and address for the record, please.

Thank you, Mr. Jones. Would anyone like to speak in public comments at this time, as Mr. Jones is the only one that has registered to speak for this item. You can take a seat. Thank you.

Being no more public comments at this time, we will now close the public hearing portion of this meeting. No one else has chosen to speak. And we'll move into our discussion items.

All right, thank you very much. Madam city manager, the floor is yours.

Through the mayor? Yes. I just want to make a quick comment before we hear the presentation. I want to thank the administration, and I want to hear the presentation, but before we do that, I would like to make a motion to approve based on the recommendations.

Thank you, Councilman. Is there a second? Second. I know so. Okay, go ahead, Finance Director Solange. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam City Manager.

Thank you very much. Do we have any questions? We have a motion by Councilman Pinedo and a second by Councilwoman Reynoso. Do we have any comments, questions? I have a quick question.

Yes, Councilwoman Porras. This is a question that I got asked if, I don't know, a financer or the city manager can answer. So adopting the rollback rate, as mentioned, is going to generate the same revenue as the previous year, correct? So where does the $2 million figure come from?

Okay. So it would have been an additional 2 million if we would have kept the same rate. Correct. Okay. So we're essentially getting the same revenue as last year. We're not, I mean, and again, correct me if I'm wrong, but we're not I mean, we're losing out on $2 million, but it wasn't $2 million that was already something that we had. Because I've heard it be mentioned as the city is cutting $2 million from the budget, but it's actually we're losing out on $2 million by not keeping the same military.

Yeah, I just wanted to clarify that because someone did ask. And again, I just wanted to make sure that we're still getting essentially we're operating within the same revenue that we received the past year moving on to this year.

Yes. You know, and I'll just mention, obviously, I'm happy to see that the rollback rate is the rate that's proposed. I think it's the highest rate that we can adopt with a simple majority. But, and I mentioned this to your office, I would like to see lower rates so that we can compare. Obviously, I would have liked to have seen them before this meeting. I know traditionally we haven't submitted military rates lower than the rollback rate, but we have compared and we've had something to compare with whatever was recommended. So like we always had the rollback rate which hasn't been adopted to

A motion's on the table already. So we need to entertain the motion that we currently have. If you're done with your comments, I think we can hear from the rest of the council. And if there's consensus, then the administration can proceed. If there's not, then we'll just continue with the motion that is currently on the table and what we're here to do today, which is set a ceiling I do have some comments on that once everyone has spoken. So does that conclude your comments?

So yes, I'm going to support the rollback rate because obviously it's the lowest rollback rate that's on the table for us right now. Again, I wish there were other alternatives lower than the rollback rate, but I would like to ask now and also after we take a vote for the council to consider having the city manager's office provide us with lower rates than the rollback rate, because right now what's on the table is the highest to my understanding that can be passed with three votes. So again, I'll support it, but I would like to hear from my colleagues to see if they're also on board with gett

If I may? Yes, Vice Mayor Cabral, go ahead. I most definitely support your advice. I really think that there should be room to show different scenarios from the city manager's office to give different alternative for us to evaluate and make the right decision for our residents. And for us too, because we are residents here as well. So we pay taxes like everybody else. One thing is that I would like the city attorney, if you could please explain a little bit about Florida Statute 200.71 and also a little bit about Florida Statute 200.065. I think that it's important that our residents understan

that answer your question no i mean it's not a question just to to educate the uh our residents um this is also what is right now the maximum cap if it doesn't reach the super majority within the vote that's not Right now, the rate that is capped on the state, if it doesn't reach the majority on the vote.

I know that there's a cap, or I guess that will be my question then when we get together again on the next meeting.

I know that if it doesn't get to a certain amount of the majority to approve the minute rate, the cap, what will be? What is said by the... There's no cap. What is the amount, I mean, the military that it's already said, if it doesn't reach a super majority that the state has?

I will explain my question on the next meeting so you will be able to understand. No, I will. ask you the, or I will get that information.

I will get that information. Okay. And I will share it. I will get that information. I will share it.

Comments? Okay. I just want to clarify a couple of things real quick. So just to clarify the question or a question that's been asked in very simple terms. Today, can we adopt our current millage rate with a simple majority?

So with three boats, we can adopt today the ceiling rate of our current millage rate. We don't have to go to the borrower back rate. Not today. Perfect. Thank you. That was one question that I had to make sure. And to address some other comments. So I think that first I want to congratulate the administration and the work that the finance department has done, our CFO and our city manager and the entire staff. I know that every single department really did sharpen their pencils this year. And we talked about this during strategic planning. It's unfortunate that not every council member was able

Yes, I just want to be clear, and I want to clarify a lot of the things that are being said. So the first question is, and I think we all know by now that the first military hearing or meeting is to set a ceiling. Just because it's to set a ceiling doesn't mean we can't consider alternative rates right now. Personally, I would like to have that information now to compare it. Does it mean that I'm going to vote to adopt it? Not necessarily, but I would like to see options. The second thing is, and to the attorney, under the new law, What is the maximum millage rate that can be adopted by a city

Not today. In general. It is a statement, a question.

So again, the statement is accurate, has been accurate. The maximum allowable millage rate that we can adopt with a simple majority, because even if we, let's say adopted the current millage rate today, if there's only three votes at the last hearing, the only millage rate that can be adopted with those three votes is the rollback rate. So that statement is true. Whether it's today or later, at the end of the day, if there's only three votes to support the same millage trade, it's not going to pass because the law now mandates that. That's one thing. Two, I was definitely part of strategic pla

Okay. Yeah. So, you know, I think it's a good exercise right now to start looking at all these things. Again, I'm not saying I would have voted for a lower rate, but I'm saying I would like to see that information before the final hearing. I would have liked to have seen it today. I would like to see it before even the first hearing. It's something that I think we should be able to consider. I honestly don't know what the real basis for not giving us that option alternatives to look at is, but I mean, it doesn't make sense to me. I don't think we should wait last year. You know, there was crit

Okay, any other comments, questions? Yes, Councilman Pinero.

Allow you to make a comment, go ahead. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to clarify something special for the residents because, you know, everything that we have a discussion about budget or property taxes, I know residents get confused between, you know, when we speak about rollback, the millage rate, property taxes, and so on. So, and I have been at least part of the budget process here at the City of Dorado property taxes discussion since 2014 and for a couple of years now as a council member. And what residents really need to understand is that for the first time in years, Actually, I think i

Thank you, Councilman. I have a comment.

Yes, go ahead, Councilwoman. Madam, through the chair, Madam Manager, could you please explain why did we have to go back to the rollback rate last year that something was vote, and then we had to sit down again, and we have to vote again?

We didn't go to the rollback rate last year.

Last year, we didn't have the supermajority, and that's why we have to go to the one point. And this year, I mean, I want to, and I know that the Councilwoman Porras, she asked a question that what was by the Department of Revenue, the maximum millage rate for the City of Doral through this year that can be approved without requiring the supermajority. What is that number?

So what I wanted to make clear is that in my case, I didn't support it. It's because I truly believe that there's other ways that we could lower our millage rate. Even though that was lower, we can go even lower. And on this time, I still stand for it. So ma'am, just to clarify.

It's yours. Thank you, Madam Manager. Okay, so we're going to call a question right after. I just want to make one statement also is that, you know, there's been an incredibly amount of misleading comments that have been made too and happens quite often. So here's, again, the city followed the process that's followed for 24 years on how we move forward with setting the ceiling, providing a millage rate that is workable for staff to provide a balanced budget. We all get to see the budget with plenty of time. We get to have independent meetings. We get to have workshops. It starts with our strat

Excuse me, I have the floor. I have the floor. No, I'm sorry. I don't have the floor. And we gave $1.5 million to our residents and business at that time.

You're out of order, Vice Mayor. So please control yourself. Very coincidentally, there was no proposal to go to a lower millage rate in 2023, 2024. I won't play politics with the city's financial stability. I won't play politics with the services we provide our residents. We are here to do the responsible thing, not something that you believe is popular, will gain you votes, or will give you talking points for your campaign. So I'm very sorry, but I think that we've all been here to do, we are here to do the right thing, the responsible thing, but it's very convenient that this is a proposal

This happened last year. You make comments, but you're afraid of a response. Just say it. I mean, you make very accusatory comments and then you don't want anyone to respond. I'm happy to respond to your comments. Hopefully during the budget hearing, I won't be limited in silence like I was last year. Hopefully we'll have a real honest discussion, but don't be afraid of a back and forth

Nobody is afraid of a back and forth, but this is not a time for debate.

I'm very happy to answer your questions, your remarks.

My recommendation is that you follow Robert's rules of order.

Hopefully that we can have a real discussion during the hearing.

Councilwoman, I understand your frustrations.

Yeah, you just like to silence people because you don't want to hear a response.

You're clearly speaking right now. You're clearly speaking right now. If you allow me, I can respond to you. Will you allow me to respond to you? Everybody has their two minutes to speak. We've already made it. Two minutes? I'm sorry. Everybody has their two rounds of five minutes to speak. Okay, so you are silencing me? Nobody is silencing me. Because that's all you can do. When you come prepared during the budget workshop.

And so you control what gets said and you like to have the last word, make accusations, but you don't like the responses. I get it.

I get it. No councilman. The only one that's made accusations up here. is you with what you're saying about the administration. Don't be afraid of a response. I'm never afraid of a response. Happy to do it anytime. But we've made a motion. It's passed at this time. Anything else would be out of order. My recommendation would be to follow Robert's rules of order. We have a motion to adjourn. We have a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you very much. And we'll see you back for our August council meeting and budget workshop. Thank you very much.