Miami Lakes’ millage rate is tentatively set to stay the same – although the Town Council will look for ways to lower it.
The Town Council voted 5-1 to keep the millage rate for the upcoming budget cycle at 2.1577 mills. As they voted, they said they would still look for ways to lower it once they see the town’s final budget.
“This is not the final setting of the millage, this is only setting the tentative millage rate,” Town Manager Edward Pidermann explained.
Once tentatively set, the rate cannot be raised, but it can be lowered.
Millage is a tax rate calculated through dollars assessed for each $1,000 of value; one mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. In August, Florida property owners receive Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices that show their property’s value and exemptions, as well as proposed local tax rates.
Pidermann explained that the final millage rate will be set in September when the council votes at the first budget hearing, “which will be advertised
in the TRIM notices that will be mailed.”
Councilors and Mayor Josh Dieguez expressed optimism that they would be able to lower the rate once they had seen a final budget.
Dieguez called it a “prudent fiscal exercise” and was aiming to do a cut once the council has a look at the budget.
Vice Mayor Bryan Morera agreed with Dieguez and called it the right move to start at the current rate.
“After today, we cannot go above this number, but we can go below,” Morera said. “We can still try to cut.”
Morera said that at the current rate, the average resident would only see about a dollar increase.
“If we were to cut the budget to … rollback, we’d be looking at three dollars a month in saving and a loss of about $600,000 in revenue,” Morera said.
Morera did not want to reduce town services by cutting the millage.
Councilmember Ray Garcia wanted to start with the 2025 rate. The millage rate in 2025 was 2.0732 per $1,000 of assessed property.
“I think it’s a sign to residents that although we understand they want services, they also want us to try to do our best to find savings,” Garcia said. His amendment failed to get support from the other councilmembers and did not go to a vote.
Dieguez did say he would like to get back to that lower rate, which was the lowest rate in town history.
“I think most of us did make a promise to get there,” Dieguez said.
Councilmember Alex Sanchez said he supported the current rate.
“I don’t want us to shoot ourselves in the foot; we have two months to go over the budgets,” Sanchez said. He wanted to make sure that they had enough funds to be able to cut from there and not “shortchange the town.”
It made sense to start from the higher rate and find the cuts where they can, Councilman Steven Herzberg said. He has said repeatedly that if Florida voters pass Amendment 3, which would massively expand homestead exemptions, it would be devastating to the budgeting process.
“We have to start looking at the budget overall in case the amendment passes this November,” Herzberg said.
Councilors will next discuss the budget at a workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 followed by the first budget hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Both the workshop and the first budget hearing will be held in the council chambers at Miami Lakes Town Hall, 6601 Main Street, and available to view online on YouTube.
Residents can calculate the impact of the millage rate on their property by visiting https://bit.ly/4z0RgOS.