Village Manager Nick Marano will present Palmetto Bay's proposed General Fund budget for fiscal year 2026-27 at a special workshop Monday, July 20, giving residents their first look at a spending plan shaped by rising police costs and a pending state ballot measure that could reduce local property tax revenue.
The workshop begins at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 9705 East Hibiscus St.
It is the second of at least three budget workshops this cycle. The first, held Tuesday, June 23, covered current-year spending estimates and departmental forecasts. A third workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28. The village must adopt a final budget before the fiscal year begins October 1, and Florida law requires two public hearings before that vote.
What's at stake
Palmetto Bay's current general fund millage rate is 2.35 mills. But the village's biggest expense keeps growing: the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office local patrol contract cost $861,092 in March 2026, roughly $10.3 million annualized at that monthly rate, according to the village manager's report to council.
The village is also carrying eight unfilled full-time positions, including a zoning administrator, parks supervisors, and maintenance workers, a cost-containment measure that affects the baseline for next year's budget.
Through April 2026, the village had spent $11.7 million, or 45% of its annual budget, compared to a straight-line target of 58%, the manager's June 1 report to council shows.
The Tallahassee wildcard
The Florida Legislature approved House Joint Resolution 1-F in June 2026, placing the "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes" amendment on the November ballot. If 60% of voters approve it, the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes would jump from $50,000 to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, and to $250,000 on January 1, 2028, indexed to inflation after that.
The Florida Association of Counties estimates the measure would cost counties statewide $3.6 billion in 2027 and $6.4 billion in 2028. A July 2026 Sachs Media poll found 64% of Florida voters support the amendment, above the 60% threshold needed to pass.
Palmetto Bay's lobbyist flagged multiple homestead exemption bills to council as early as March 2026, according to the village manager's May report. The village-specific revenue hit has not been publicly estimated, but any reduction in taxable value would pressure a municipality that relies heavily on property taxes and has no local income tax to fall back on.
How to weigh in
Residents who want to speak at the Monday, July 20 workshop must sign in on the public commentary sheet before speaking. Each speaker gets three minutes.
Anyone needing special accommodations or a sign language interpreter should contact Village Clerk Missy Arocha at (305) 259-1234 at least four days before the meeting.
Mayor Karyn Cunningham, Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer, and council members Patrick Fiore, Steve Cody, and Marsha Matson are all listed on the agenda.
The next budget workshop is Tuesday, July 28, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
