City of Winter Garden Fiscal Year ’24-’25 budget breakdown

Winter Garden city commissioners approved unanimously the final budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 Sept. 26.

City commissioners voted to set the budget at $158,251,629 with a millage rate of 4.5.

The millage rate is greater than the rolled-back rate of 4.1564 mills by 8.27%.

In a message in the final budget report, City Manager Jon C. Williams said this fiscal year presents the city with both opportunities and challenges. 

“Our primary goal is to continue fostering the growth and well-being of our community while ensuring responsible fiscal management,” he said. “This budget proposal aims to strike a balance between the provision of essential services, targeted investments and prudent financial planning. The FY 2025 budget is a culmination of extensive analysis, careful consideration and the shared vision of our community. … This funding plan ensures that all major city services — including police, fire and transportation — remain at or above current levels of service. This budget includes $58.5 million to the General Fund personnel and operating expenditures, $4.6 million in transfers and other expenditures, and $3.2 million for capital projects. The budget is balanced and delivers all of the superior services our citizens have come to expect without increasing taxes.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Williams said economic indicators for FY 2025 and beyond point to a cautionary outlook. 

“The city of Winter Garden’s long-term revenues anticipate property values will continue to rise, however, at a slower pace than previous years,” he said. “Revenue generated by the citywide property tax is used for a wide variety of government services, including public safety, parks and recreation, and numerous infrastructure improvements. Certain state revenues could deviate from the forecast depending on consumer spending during the upcoming year. The economic outlook for expenditures continues to show the cumulative impact of sustained inflation, higher interest rates, supply chain disruptions, wage growth and tight labor market.”

The General Fund revenues budget for FY 2025 totals $65,447,681. This is a decrease of $17 million, or 21%, when compared to the budget for the prior fiscal year. Williams said this decrease does not reflect an accurate portrayal of the total budget year to budget year revenues due to the one-time $24 million grant funding source budgeted in FY 2024. 

The recurring revenue sources for the General Fund are projected to increase in FY 2025. The largest revenue source in the General Fund budget is ad valorem taxes in the amount of $26,321,525, which is based on the current millage rate of 4.5. The budget reflects no change to the millage rate. Although the current rate is maintained, ad valorem property tax revenue will increase by $2.2 million as a result of the 9.3% increase in Winter Garden’s property values. 

“We have funded the budget to ensure a strong commitment to public safety, along with meeting the need for infrastructure improvements, and funding to provide high quality services to the residents, businesses and visitors of the city,” Williams said.

The General Fund expenditures budget totals $62,114,640. This is a decrease of $24 million, or 27%, when compared to the budget for the prior fiscal year, which is a combination of a decrease in the capital budget and an increase in personnel and operating expenditures. The FY 2025 capital budget has decreased by $31.6 million due to the capital budgeted in FY 2024 for grant funded projects. The General Fund noncapital expenditures budget increased $7.5 million, or 13.47%. 

Williams said the city continues to see sustained growth in assessed values and net new construction added to the property tax roll this year. The city’s total certified taxable assessed valuation is $6,087,968,520, an increase of $517,756,142, or 9.3%, from the prior year’s valuation. Revenue from ad valorem taxes is projected at $26.3 million, representing 40% of the General Fund revenue. The FY 2025 budget includes an operating millage rate of 4.5 per $1,000 assessed taxable valuation, which is the same since FY 2019.

“Our city is widely recognized as a well-planned community, successfully balancing the provision of exceptional levels of service, a welcoming business climate and an extensive array of amenities,” Williams said. “We were able to maintain the quality standard of excellence thanks to our dedicated employees who work incredibly hard, day after day. This budget serves the citizens of the community well by providing the funds necessary to maintain and improve the city’s infrastructure, ensure qualified and responsive fire and police protection, and provide those amenities that define our community."