- April 25, 2024
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The Ocoee City Commission discussed the tentative budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year at a workshop Tuesday, Aug. 9.
The General Fund is tentatively approved for the fiscal year at $72,880,044, a 7.4% decrease from Fiscal Year 2022. This includes property taxes, franchise taxes, utility taxes, licenses and permits, intergovernmental revenue, charges for services, fines and forfeitures, miscellaneous revenue, and transfers.
The proposed tentative millage rate established by the elected officials is 5.05, .05 lower than last year’s millage rate. However, the tentative budget is balanced at 4.9 mills — which is lower than the tentative millage rate approved by the commissioners. The ad valorem taxes are budgeted for $19.2 million at 4.95 mills and a collection rate of 95%.
Overall, this reflects an increase of 11% over the FY22 budget. Of this, the General Fund will contribute $1,164,857 to the Community Redevelopment Agency.
The CRA Fund is tentatively approved for $7,957,353. This includes $6.9 million in a Capital Improvements fund that come primarily through reserves.
The proposed budget includes 39 capital improvement projects totaling nearly $32.5 million for this upcoming year. The individual requests are: CRA, $6,970,537; Fire Department, ith $5,000,000; General Government Services, $12,900; Parks, $475,000; Police Department, $5,000,000; Recreation, $75,000; Support Services Administration, $16,000; Utilities Administration, $12,557,872; Wastewater Facilities, $50,000; Wastewater Field Operations, $842,000; Water Facilities, $50,000; and Water Field Operations, $1,390,464.
Included in the largest CRA requests are the South Bluford Complete Street Project, $5,995,537; a new fire station for the fire department, $5,000,000; a new gun range for the police department, $5,000,000; a petition to expand and upgrade the Motor Control Center Room, $2,400,000; a new master lift station for Fullers Cross, Ocoee Apopka and Clinger Cove, $2,200,000; replacement of failing asbestos cement water system and construction of transmission main at Lakewood and Rewis, $1,300,000; a new reclaimed pumping facility, $1,784,145; a new reclaimed storage tank, $2,282,231; and a new reclaimed water main from Orange County Interconnect south on Lauren Beth Avenue to the new storage tank at the WWTP, $1,069,496.
The overall proposed tentative budget for the five-year plan includes 59 capital improvement projects totaling nearly $85 million. These are distributed as follows: CRA projects, $3,450,000; major buildings, $10,175,000; Parks and Recreation, $3,875,000; road capacity, $22,450,000; road operations, $13,831,737; stormwater, $1,280,000; and utilities, $31,021,701.
The Ocoee Police Department has a tentative budget of $19,721,150, a 48.35% increase from the previous year, and the Ocoee Fire Department has a tentative budget of $13,346,830, an increase of 63.41%.
The Stormwater Fund is tentatively budgeted at $4,163,203, a 9.7% increase over the previous year.
The Water/Wastewater Fund is tentatively budgeted at $18,484,900 and reflects a 14.5% increase from last year. Out of those, $4.1 million are being allocated from fund balance and $5.45 million are allocated to capital projects, equipment, and repairs and replacements.
The Solid Waste Fund is tentatively budgeted at $4,720,423, showing an 8.3% increase over the previous year, and it is projected that in 2023, the Sanitation Fund’s operating revenues will exceed the operating expenses.
The proposed Impact Fee budget is $2,177,631 and includes planning, acquisition and development of off-site improvements to the road system within the road impact fund, fire protection and acquisition of facilities and equipment, law enforcement and acquisition of facilities and equipment, and parks and recreation.
Over the last decade, the city of Ocoee has experienced incredible population growth. In 2011, the city had close to 36,000 residents. In 2020, the census reflects close to 50,000 residents.
