- September 16, 2024
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The Palm Coast City Council has approved the 2025 fiscal year budget of $421 million.
The budget requires two votes to be formally adopted and the second vote will be held on Sept. 18. The budget's $61 million general fund will be primarily funded by a millage rate of 4.1893, slightly reduced from the current rate of 4.2154.
Both the tentative budget and millage rate votes passed with a 3-1 majority, with Vice Mayor Ed Danko dissenting, at the Sept. 5 business meeting. The overall 2025 budget is a 17% increase over 2024’s budget.
Danko suggested dipping into the city’s $20 million in reserve to fund using the rolled-back millage rate, which would necessitate a $2 million budget cut. City policy requires a $6 million minimum reserver fund balance be maintained at all times, financial director Helena Alves said.
“We got a lot of leeway there,” Danko said. “We can find $2 million there to do the full millage rate rollback without cutting a thing.”
Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri said she has an issue dipping into the reserves as a matter of policy.
“I think that the reserve fund should be for emergencies, and it should also be for one-time cost [projects],” Pontieri said.
