by Joe Potter
During the City Council’s Aug. 10 budget workshop, Zephyrhills City Manager William C. “Billy” Poe Jr. proposed a 6% salary increase for City employees for fiscal year 2026-2027. That fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 20, 2027. Poe’s recommendation would require City Council approval during a regular meeting in September, since official decisions cannot be made during budget workshops.
A future budget workshop may be scheduled before City Council holds two public hearings and votes on the proposed budget during September. In the workshop, City Council members also reviewed the current plan, which includes a five percent salary increase already reflected in the budget materials discussed on Aug. 10.
Councilman Charles Proctor urged that a seven percent increase be considered, citing the cost pressures employees are facing due to inflation. Under the proposed figures, the six percent increase would put the adjustment at $810,000 in the final budget, while a seven percent proposal would raise that amount to $885,000. Even though he would benefit from a seven percent increase, Poe said he supported moving forward with the six percent option.
In another budget workshop discussion, Poe said the City’s rolled-back millage rate for ad valorem taxes should be 6.2375 this year, compared with the City’s current millage rate of 6.5. He explained that the rolled-back rate is tied to how property values change year to year, intending to generate roughly the same amount of tax revenue as the prior year.
City Council was also updated on proposed improvements to Zephyr Park, which are currently estimated at $27 million, with $19 million already budgeted. Gail Hamilton, the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency director, told council members she believes Kimley-Horn should be asked to make a presentation on the Zephyr Park project so the City can identify possible areas where expenses could be reduced. No specific date was set for that presentation.
Kimley-Horn is an engineering firm that has worked with Zephyrhills on multiple projects in the past, including the development of Hercules Park, the first new community park built in the City in more than 40 years. ♥
