Budget FAQ

What is the Budget?

A budget is a plan for using the City government’s financial resources. The budget discloses proposed expenditures for a given period and the proposed means of paying for those expenditures. Two basic components of a budget are the revenue or sources section and the expenditures or uses section.

• What is the General Fund?
  

  The General Fund is used to account for all the financial resources under general government, except those required to be accounted for in another funds. It is the primary operating fund of the City.

• What are Internal Service Funds?
  

  Internal Service Fuds are used to account for central stores, information technologies, central services, health insurance, risk management (general) and vehicle services that are provided to other departments or agencies of the government, on a cost reimbursement basis.

• What are Enterprise Funds?

  Enterprise Funds are used to account for operations and services recovered through customer charges – whether to outside customers or to other units of the City.

• What are Special Revenue Funds?

  The Special Revenue Funds account for the proceeds of specific revenue sources and are restricted to designated activities or services

Where can I find a copy of the City’s budget book?

• Both Operating and Line Item Budget books are published online on the Budget Office Webpage. To access them, please follow this link: https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...
• Residents, businesses, and visitors can access the budget through OpenGov Financial Transparency, which allows you to visualize the City’s annual budgets from FY 2013 to the present: https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...
• The Budget Office can also provide a hard copy of the Operating and/or Line Item Budget Books upon request.
• For short animated budget videos, please visit our budget webpage: https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...
• For News and OpenGov Stories, please visit our budget webpage: https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...
• Residents can also access the City’s Strategic Plan Reports online: https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...
  

Public Participation in the Budget Process

How can the public educate themselves and be part of the Annual Budget Process?

Residents and businesses are encouraged to participate by serving on various advisory boards and attending monthly or quarterly meetings. To access the Advisory Boards and Committees, please follow this link:
https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov...

Additionally, residents, non-profit agencies, and businesses can participate in budget workshops held in April, June, and July and attend special City Commission meetings and two Public Budget Hearings in September each year.

Residents are welcome to express their views at any public City Commission meetings throughout the year. They may also contact the City Manager’s Office, the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, or their District Commissioners with any questions or comments.

Property Valuation

• What is the 2024 Tax Roll valuation for Pompano Beach?
  

  As of July 1, 2024, the City’s taxable value is $21,062,287,144, representing a 10.36% increase compared to the property valuation last year as of July 1, 2023 of $19,085,795,102

• How much was new construction valuation in 2024 Tax Roll?

New construction accounts for $349,700,170 in the property valuation, which represents a 156% increase when compared to July 1st, 2023, new construction of $136,246,830

Tax Bill Explanation

• What is TRIM?

  TRIM is an acronym for the Truth in Millage Law, passed in 1980 by the Florida State Legislature. It was designed to keep the public informed about the taxes proposed by local taxing authorities.

• What is a TRIM notice?

  This law requires a TRIM notice, the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes. All property owners should receive a TRIM notice in mid-August each year.

• When and where are the public budget hearings?

  State law requires two public hearings to discuss the budget. These hearings occur every September. The dates vary from one year to another, depending on the scheduled Broward County Commission and School Board Public Budget Hearings.

• What is Ad-Valorem Tax?

  Ad-valorem taxes are calculated as a percentage of the value of real or personal property expressed in mills. The tax is based on the value of the property. It is commonly referred to as “property tax.”

• How do I calculate my property tax (Example – City’s portion of the Tax Bill)?

  The taxes due on a property are calculated by multiplying the property's taxable value by the millage rate. For example, the property taxes on a home with a homestead exemption of $50,000 and a tax rate of 6.2292mills can be calculated in this manner:

  • Determine the taxable value of the property:
  • Assessed Value of Home: $100,000
  • Less Homestead Exemption (If the property owner is eligible for the homestead exemption): -$50,000
  • Taxable Value: $50,000
  • Divide the taxable value by 1,000 and multiply by the City’s aggregate millage rate. Please note that the City’s aggregate millage rate is set annually:
    (50,000/1,000) X 6.2292= $311.46
  
  
• Why have my property taxes increased?
  If your tax bill may increase, here are some of the most common reasons:
  • A loss of homestead exemption or other change in exemption status
  • An increase in assessed property value (i.e., an increase in market value)
  • An increase in millage rate by one or more taxing authorities
  • Portability Issues

• Can I pay my tax bill in installments?

  Yes. The City of Pompano Beach does not send tax bills or collect tax payments. The office you need to contact is the Broward County Revenue Collection Division at 954-831-4000. The Revenue Collection Division does have an installment plan for taxpayers. The office explains the process and how to apply.

• When do I get my tax bill?

  The Broward County Revenue Collection Division sends out the tax bills by November 1st of each year. If you have an escrow account with your mortgage company, the bill is sent directly to the mortgage company, and you are sent a courtesy copy. After November 1, you may also pay your property taxes online to the Revenue Collector.

• Who sets my taxes?

  The amount of your tax bill depends on a few factors:
  1. The assessed value of your property is calculated by the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office each year.
  2. The tax rate, expressed as dollars per thousand, for each taxing body in which your property is located. For example, your property might be subject to taxes by Broward County, the School Board, the City, a Hospital District, and multi-county districts, such as the South Florida Water Management District. The sum of these tax rates multiplied by your assessed value, divided by1,000, equals the amount of taxes you are to pay
  3. Other factors include portability, exemptions, etc.

What % of the resident’s tax bill is from Pompano Beach?

An example of the taxing authorities listed in your tax bill is below.

The City’s Millage Rates

• What is the millage rate?

  The millage rate is the property tax charged per $1,000 taxable property value. For example, the City’s aggregate millage rate is 6.2292 (General Fund millage rate is 5.2443; EMS millage rate is 0.5000; voted debt service millage rate (2018) is 0.2884; voted debt service millage rate (2021) is 0.1965) per $1,000 of taxable value

• What is the rolled-back rate?

  Rate that would generate prior year tax revenues less allowances for new construction, additions, deletions, annexations, and improvements, increasing value by at least 100% and tangible personal property value in excess of 115% of the previous year’s value

• What is the current Operating Millage Rate?

  The General Fund operating millage for FY 2025 is 5.2443

• What is the current EMS Millage Rate?
  

  The EMS millage rate for FY 2025 is 0.5000.

• What is the current Debt Service Millage Rate?
  The (2018) debt service millage rate for FY 2025 is 0.2884
  The (2021) debt service millage rate for FY 2025 is 0.1965
  
  

Fire Assessment Program

• The City’s Fire Assessment Program
  

  The purpose of the Fire Assessment Program is to provide a dedicated source of funding for fire operations, including fire prevention and suppression, hazmat response, fire safety education, and emergency disaster preparedness and response. The fees paid to the City under this program cannot be used for any other purpose. The costs, covered by the fees, are apportioned by service demand (calls) that are placed on fire operations by residential, commercial, industrial/warehouse, and institutional properties

• What is the fire assessment fee (non-ad valorem fee)?
  

  A special assessment is a charge levied on properties to cover the cost of providing a particular service or improvement, such as the Fire Assessment Fee. It is called a non-ad valorem assessment because it is on the property tax bill but is not based on property value

• Is the Fire Assessment a Tax?
  

  While the ad valorem tax and the fire assessment fee generate revenue for fire services, the fire assessment must benefit the property. Both taxes and the assessment are mandatory and can be collected on the tax bill. Authorization for the fire special assessment comes from the City’s Home Rule powers

• How can I appeal my non-ad valorem assessment?
  

  The short answer is that there is no "appeal" of the non-ad valorem assessments and fees. Examples of these non-ad valorem items include city fire/rescue assessment, city solid waste assessment, stormwater assessment, etc.

• Do we have a goal that our fire assessment fee should cover?
  

  Approximately 90% of eligible fire operation expenditures.

Historical Fire Assessment Fees Table

What is voter approved debt, or bonds?

Florida law allows municipalities to levy separate property tax rates to pay for long-term bonds. Bonds using property taxes to guarantee the payment of the cost of principal and interest are known as “general obligation” (G.O.) bonds. The City issues these bonds only after voters have approved them.

Details on the City’s outstanding debt can be found in the ACFR (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report):

https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov/government/finance-department

Additional Information:

For more information on your property taxes, exemptions, millage rates, and any other additional information, please check the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Website: http://www.bcpa.net/FAQ.asp