Oakland drafts proposed 2024-25 budget

The Oakland Town Commission held its first budget workshop Tuesday, June 25, to establish the tentative Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget and proposed millage rate to support that budget. The budget is proposed at $23,047,494, and the town is proposing to hold the millage rate at 6.3 for a third year.

Broken down, that’s $9,149,168 in the General Fund, $8,657,650 in the Utility Fund and $5,240,676 in the Impact Fee budget.

The proposed rate would provide an additional $320,896 in ad valorem rates because of an increase in property values and new development. Last year’s taxable property value was $761,052,389, and this year’s is $837,562,103.

At the Oakland Town Commission meeting that followed the workshop, the commission approved both the proposed budget and the proposed millage rate, as well as the tentative five-year Capital Improvements Plan.

In a memo to the commission, Town Manager Andy Stewart wrote: “During the budget process, town department directors focused on maintaining or exceeding existing service levels within all town departments while diligently working to prioritize expenditures within the confines of the town’s operating budget.

“The town of Oakland’s population has grown from 3,516 to 5,402 residents between 2020 and 2023, representing a 54% increase in population,” he wrote. “The rapid population growth, along with continuing growth for the foreseeable future, has placed a significant demand on all town services as well as the town’s workforce.”

The FY 2024-25 budget proposes an increase in building permit fee revenues.

A 4% cost-of-living raise is proposed for all employees. Also in the budget is a reorganization of several positions to better suit the needs of their respective departments. When the finance director retired, the position was filled by the finance manager. The human resources director and payroll specialist were combined into one position and filled by the current payroll specialist.

In Community Outreach, a position was retitled from program specialist to creative content coordinator to better serve and meet the needs of the department. The police department added one more police officer that was unbudgeted in FY 2023-24 that is included in the proposed budget.

“Funding capital projects with yearly operating revenues in both the general and enterprise fund remains a challenge in the proposed budget, but the town remains well positioned for an influx of revenue with new commercial growth along (State Road) 50 and other vacant commercially zoned properties,” Stewart wrote. “The town’s commercial property tax values make up approximately 18% of the total ad valorem revenue for the town. As commercial developments occur in the future this additional tax revenue will shift a portion of the tax burden from the residents and onto commercial developments.

“This additional tax revenue will assist the town with not only providing more robust services in the future but also provide the revenue necessary to begin funding more capital improvements,” Stewart said.

Last year, the town adopted a Capital Improvement Plan to help make good budgeting decisions for large projects and purchases more than $5,000.

CIP projects included in the proposed budget for FY 2024-25 include audio-visual upgrades in the Oakland Meeting Hall, $20,000; in information technology, a serverless migration, $60,000, and computer equipment and laptops, $23,000; and, in Public Works, streets and maintenance, street-resurfacing program, $75,000, dirt road material, $50,000, and truck purchase, $30,000.

Multiple Public Works projects are proposed for the next fiscal year. In the water department, Gulley Avenue line upsize, $50,000; in alternative water, irrigation facility, $6 million (of which $4 million is secured in grant funding); in wastewater, pumps and utility crane, $40,000, town’s septic-to-sewer project, $650,000 (state appropriation), and Lift Station No. 7 and force main extension, $985,000.

The public hearings for the Oakland budget are scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, and Tuesday, Sept. 24, both at the Town Meeting Hall.

The tentative budget does not include the budget for Oakland Avenue Charter School, which is approved separately by the Town Commission.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

• At the Oakland Town Commission meeting, elected officials heard a presentation on the Vision Zero Safety Action Plan, a program that strives to reach zero percent crashes through safe roads, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe drivers and post-crash care. According to the data presented, the town had a total of 124 crashes between 2018 and 2022, none with fatalities and two of them with severe injuries.

• Pam Dwyer, principal of Oakland Avenue Charter School, presented to the Town Commission a summary of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 tentative budget. The proposed budget is more than $6 million.

• Elected officials approved the second reading and public hearing that adopts the design guidelines and architectural standards for The Grove, a 44-home subdivision at Oakland Avenue and Catherine Ross Road.

• The commission approved the consent agenda, which included a four-month contract extension for emergency debris removal services with Central Florida Arbor Care (National Storm Recovery), the construction agreement for Lift Station No. 7, which will be constructed on town-owned land near Lake Apopka and the future extension of Jefferson Street; the easement agreement for a retrofit of the neighborhood stormwater system at Longleaf at Oakland; and a new instructional salary schedule for Oakland Avenue Charter School.

• Commissioners approved the final plat for Oakland Park Unit 7 North, the final phase of the subdivision with 23 lots.

• Sen. Geraldine Thompson updated the town on the legislative budget and which bills passed and which failed.

“The good news in regards to the budget is the majority of the legislators felt your projects were worthy,” she said. “Unfortunately, they did not survive.”

• The Town of Oakland proclaimed Independence Day July 4, 2024.