OKEECHOBEE — During the last two city council meetings, the council discussed setting the millage rate at 5.9602 which is 4.51% more than the rollback rate of 5.7030.

The city millage rate for the 2024/2025 fiscal year was 6.1602.

One mill equals $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The rollback rate is the millage that would raise the same amount of money as the previous year, but based on the current year's property values. Even when the millage rate is lower than the previous year, residents may still see an increase in their tax bill if their property value increased.

On Sept. 3, an Okeechobee citizen spoke to the council explaining that his dad always told him and his brothers they should never live above their means. He said he understood that when you run a city, things come up, but there are many retired people in the city of Okeechobee. These people live on a set income. He asked the council to please remember that when they make decisions. “Remember the people who have X amount of money coming in, and that’s all they got. All they have is a home. Now, it may not be a mansion, but it’s theirs. They don’t want to lose it.”

During the discussion about the millage rate, Vice-Mayor Monica Clark told the other council members she had received five calls from local businesses telling her how much they appreciated that the council was considering their needs when making the decision on taxes. She said the city has reduced taxes for the last five years. “The problem is that you haven’t had any reduction in the county, and so, it kind of looks askew.”

The budget was adopted through a unanimous vote.

To view the city’s past, present and proposed budgets, visit their website at city budgets.