The City of Zephyrhills has adopted a budget of nearly $75.3 million for fiscal year 2021-2022.
The figure represents about a 24.5% increase over this past year’s budget, which was roughly $60.5 million.
The newest budget also comes in significantly higher than the 2019-2020 and 2018-2019 fiscal years, which were approximately $66.3 million and $59.4 million, respectively.
The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved the 2021-2022 budget at the second and final reading during its Sept. 27 meeting.
No citizens spoke during a public hearing on the matter.
The city’s balanced budget is based on a rate of 6.35 mills, which will generate about $5.7 million in ad valorem taxes based on a citywide property valuation of nearly $946.7 million.
The city’s millage rate has been the same since 2016, according to Zephyrhills Finance Director Ted Beason.
The 54-page budget is broken down into the following categories:
- General fund: $15,655,783
- Special revenue fund: $13,154,724
- Community Redevelopment Agency fund: $879, 814
- Impact fee fund: $6,143,835
- Utility impact fee fund: $6,292,000
- Utility fund: $22,766,563
- Airport fund: $8,440,931
- Sanitation fund: $1,963,030
Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe highlighted major projects in the upcoming fiscal year in a memo to council members. The fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
Notable projects include:
- Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center multi-purpose indoor facility: $4.655 million, with 100% of the funding coming from the state
- Simons Road Phase II: $2.3 million, funded by transportation impact fee
- Park improvements: $1.1 million, funded by Penny for Pasco
- Sidewalks: $1 million, funded by Penny for Pasco
- Eiland Boulevard/Simons Road intersection: $800,000, funded by transportation impact fee
- Dairy Road/Kossik Road extension: $800,000, funded by transportation impact fee
- County Road 54 improvements, east of Hercules Park: $581,907, funded by Penny for Pasco
- Seventh Street milling and restoration: $575,000, funded by Penny for Pasco
- City yard design: $350,000, funded by Penny for Pasco
- Gateway development project: $350,000, funded by transportation impact fee
- Hercules Park design: $300,000, funded by Penny for Pasco
- Jennifer Lane design and construction: $120,000, funded by transportation impact fee
Meanwhile, the new budget calls for several additional personnel, including three police officers (detective, patrol officer, K-9), a human resources specialist, senior maintenance mechanic, water utilities service worker and wastewater utilities service worker.
Also on the city staffing front:
- Total employee health care costs increased 1.4%
- Pay increase of 3% for employees and 41 cents per hour to work toward the upcoming $15 state-mandated minimum wage increase by September 2026
Poe shared other citywide updates in his city manager’s report:
- The 2021 Zephyrhills Economic Summit is scheduled for Oct. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St. Featured presentations will take a look at an aviation cluster study, growth, expansion and development, workforce initiatives, and various updates throughout the state and Pasco County.
• The City of Zephyrhills will host a stormwater master plan public workshop on Nov. 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall. “It’ll be a workshop where citizens can come in, look at a map, and have a conversation about their property or their areas of concern,” Poe said.
City of Zephyrhills fiscal year 2021-2022 budget
Total balanced budget: $75,296,680
- General fund: $15,655,783
- Special revenue fund: $13,154,724
- Community Redevelopment Agency fund: $879, 814
- Impact fee fund: $6,143,835
- Utility impact fee fund: $6,292,000
- Utility fund: $22,766,563
- Airport fund: $8,440,931
- Sanitation fund: $1,963,030
Published October 13, 2021
