Commissioners adopt a $1.28 billion budget and hold the tax rate at 4.11
Plus an $829 million Terminal 5, Flagler Village's 2,300-unit pipeline and Starlight Musicals on September 19.
Fort Lauderdale commissioners voted 4-1 on Monday to adopt a $1.28 billion budget and leave the property tax rate at 4.11 per $1,000 of taxable value, unchanged for a 19th year. Laura Reece, director of the city's office of management and budget, told commissioners before the vote that for a home at $640,000, the average single-family value in the city, the impact for the coming year came to $180, or $15 a month.
The budget adds about $14 million in salaries and wages and includes $6.1 million in employee benefits.
Commissioner John C. Herbst, the dissenting vote, had supported a rollback rate of about 3.9. Acting City Manager Christopher Cooper said the millage rate remained at 4.11 per $1,000 of taxable value, and the fire assessment fee is $444 per residential dwelling.
Terminal 5's estimated cost more than doubles to $829 million
Broward County broke ground in 2023 on a new terminal east of Terminal 4 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, built in partnership with JetBlue and set to primarily serve the airline. At the time it was estimated at $404 million and officials said it would be ready by 2026. After the design plans and bidding process were completed over the past year, the estimated cost has jumped to $829 million and completion is now expected in 2030.
The 275,000-square-foot terminal will serve 4 to 5 million more passengers a year, officials said.
More than 2,300 residences are in the Flagler Village pipeline
The roughly 300-acre arts district north of downtown has more than 2,300 residential units and 277,300 square feet of commercial space underway or planned.
The largest is Ombelle Fort Lauderdale at 300 Northeast 3rd Avenue, a 44-story Dependable Equities development with 754 residences across two towers. Pre-sales have begun, prices start at $500,000, and completion is slated for the end of 2028.
Broward County's final budget hearing is set for September 22
Broward County Commission's second public budget hearing and final budget adoption are scheduled for September 22 at 5:01 p.m. The new fiscal year begins October 1.
Property owners should pay particular attention to the proposed millage rate, because rising assessed values can increase the amount collected even when the rate itself does not move, and a final bill also carries rates set separately by cities, the School Board and other taxing authorities.
Starlight Musicals plays Holiday Park on September 19 in its 47th year
- When
- September 19 · 7 to 10 p.m.
- Where
- Holiday Park
- Address
- 1150 G. Harold Martin Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
The concert series features pop, tropical rock, country and R&B bands, and the September 19 date runs 7 to 10 p.m. at Holiday Park, 1150 G. Harold Martin Dr. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, picnic basket, cooler and a friend.
MODS and Broward libraries launch Character Corners for kids up to age 6
- When
- September 24 · 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- Where
- Broward County Main Library
The Museum of Discovery and Science and Broward County Library are putting interactive Character Corners in seven libraries and Book Nooks in all 36 branches. The program is built for children up to age 6 and the caregivers with them, and it turns on four skills: critical thinking, caring, confidence and cooperation.
A ribbon-cutting celebration runs 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. September 24 at the Broward County Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale.