Winter Haven Commission Weighs Tax Rate and Reserves

The Winter Haven City Commission debates whether to use reserve funds to roll back the property tax millage rate or keep the proposed 6.5900 mills to protect services, ultimately rejecting a deeper rollback and approving the new rate on a 4–1 vote. 6mins

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Original Meeting

Monday, September 28th, 2026
7309.319
City Commission - Sep 28, 2026
Full Meeting on Granicus
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In This Video
  • The City Commission held a second public hearing on an ordinance setting the 2026–2027 ad valorem millage rate at 6.5900 mills, a 0.51% increase over the rollback rate, to fund operating costs and capital projects.
  • A commissioner proposed amending the ordinance to further roll back the millage rate to 6.3888 mills using $1 million from the unassigned fund balance, while Commissioner Birdsong argued against reducing the rate and supported adopting the originally proposed ad valorem rate.
  • Commissioner Davis concluded remarks on a proposed millage rollback as Mayor Yates argued against using reserve funds for a tax cut, after which the commission voted down the amendment and the City Attorney confirmed that the ordinance setting the millage rate at 6.5900 mills remained before them.
  • Commissioner Davis reiterated opposition to Amendment 3 and urged the City Commission to reject the proposed millage rate, criticizing excess reserves as a “slush fund” and calling for a broader property tax reduction to relieve residents during an affordability crisis.
  • Commissioner Birdsong explained that a past millage increase funded city road maintenance, emphasized how reserves helped avoid service cuts during the economic downturn, and stated support for keeping the current millage rate to preserve essential services.
  • Mayor Yates emphasized that using reserves to slightly lower the millage rate would yield only minimal homeowner savings and risk future budget stability, and the City Commission approved the motion on the millage rate in a 4–1 vote. Commissioner Davis was the sole no vote.
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