City Commission Approves Tentative Millage Rate

The City Commission made what multiple commissioners called the biggest decision for the next fiscal year on Tuesday, July 27, during a regular Commission meeting.

The key resolution on the agenda focused on the setting of a tentative operating millage rate for fiscal year 2022.  Cooper City’s next fiscal year will commence on October 1, 2021 and will run through September 30, 2022.

Following discussion and consideration of the resolution, the City Commission voted to approve a tentative millage rate of 6.125, which is lower than the 6.288 millage rate of the current fiscal year.  It is important to stress that this tentative millage rate needs to be submitted to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office by August 4, but it is not the final millage rate that Cooper City property owners will see on tax bills in the fall. 

It is important that all Cooper City property owners review their Truth in Millage (TRIM) Notice, also called a Notice of Proposed Property Taxes, when they receive it by mail.  Your TRIM Notice will include the tentative millage rate submitted by Cooper City, along with the rates set by other taxing authorities listed in your notice.  For important information regarding your upcoming TRIM Notice, please visit the Broward County Property Appraiser’s website at https://bcpa.net/trim.asp.

By setting a tentative millage rate, the City Commission now has the option to keep the millage rate at 6.125 or decrease it.  Throughout the latest Commission meeting, elected leaders discussed a rollback rate of 5.966.  Compared to the millage rate of 2021, which is 6.288, a millage rate of 5.966 would save Cooper City property owners a total of approximately $836,000.  A vote to approve a tentative millage rate of 5.966 failed by a vote of 3-2, during the Commission meeting.  The key factor in the decision by Mayor Greg Ross, Commissioner Jeff Green, and Commissioner Howard Meltzer to vote against the lower millage rate, at this time, was the need to see a full and detailed proposed budget for fiscal year 2022, which is due to the Commission by August 15.

Also approved during the City Commission meeting on July 27 was a motion to set a 65% cap on the fire assessment rate to Cooper City property owners, with no exemptions being applied to nonprofits, exempt government, and vacant land, at this time.  It is important for Cooper City property owners to understand that the fire assessment can still be lowered for fiscal year 2022 and that the City Commission can approve exemptions to the fire assessment, following a review of the City’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022. 

Cooper City residents are encouraged to take part in upcoming public hearings, where millage and budget will be discussed.  The first Millage and Budget Public Hearing will be held on Monday, September 13, at 6:30 PM at City Hall and the second Millage and Budget Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, September 23, at 6:30 PM at City Hall.