By Brian D’Antoni Sundaze Gazette · Politics / Owner-impact budget AI-assisted reporting; millage, levy, and program figures verified only against Broward County’s FY2027 recommended budget packets and labeled recommended where the packets say so. Final rates are not yet adopted.
Two days from now, Broward County’s first FY2027 Truth in Millage public hearing opens the window owners actually use: speak to the recommended rates and budget before the final hearing locks the package and the new fiscal year begins on October 1.
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 5:01 p.m. Broward County Governmental Center East · Room 422 (typical) 115 S Andrews Avenue · Fort Lauderdale
The final hearing is calendared for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 5:01 p.m. at the same venue track. Agenda and live/video tooling sit on Granicus (publisher view; AgendaViewer event_id=1941). Primary budget PDFs and the county hub are the Controlling documents for every number in this report: Understanding Your Budget, Operating Budget, Budget in Brief, and the Budget hub.
This is not a rewrite of the county’s books. It is an owner-facing checklist for commercial landlords, contractors, small-business operators, film and AI operators, and Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) corridor owners: what the recommended millage and levy say, which program and assessment lines sit in the packets, how to speak on Sept. 10, and what still happens on Sept. 22 before Oct. 1. Twin process piece for Palm Beach County’s final millage track: Palm Beach County FY2027 final millage hearing Sept. 15.
Hearing logistics: Sept. 10 first, Sept. 22 final, FY starts Oct. 1
Florida’s TRIM calendar puts county millage and budget adoption into noticed evening hearings. Broward’s first public hearing is Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, 5:01 p.m. The final public hearing is Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, 5:01 p.m. Both are noticed for the Broward County Governmental Center East at 115 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, with Room 422 as the typical chamber assignment—confirm the posted agenda if staff relocates the room.
Fiscal year 2027 begins October 1, 2026. After finals are adopted on the Sept. 22 track, the Tax Collector’s bill cycle is what converts adopted millages and taxable values into the payment owners actually owe (subject to early-payment discounts). Sept. 10 is the first owner microphone on this year’s recommended package; Sept. 22 is the last scheduled TRIM hearing on this track before the year opens.
Watch Granicus for the live agenda, attachments, and any late packet uploads: Granicus publisher and the AgendaViewer for event_id=1941. If a newer PDF posts after this story’s deadline, the newer PDF controls.
Recommended countywide millage and ad valorem levy (packet only)
From the county’s recommended FY2027 materials (see Understanding Your Budget and companion operating / Budget in Brief PDFs):
| Item | Recommended / certified figure |
|---|---|
| Total countywide millage (recommended) | 5.6658 (unchanged from FY26) |
| Operating millage | 5.3529 |
| Capital millage | 0.3129 |
| Rolled-back rate | 5.3946 |
| Ad valorem taxes (FY27 recommended) | $1,903,345,939 |
| Certified taxable roll | $335,935,955,775 |
Labels matter. These are recommended package figures heading into the Sept. 10 first hearing. They are not adopted FY2027 finals. Do not treat a flat 5.6658 headline as “taxes unchanged” without reading the rolled-back comparison and your own taxable value.
Rolled-back, in plain English: it is the millage that would generally raise the same ad valorem revenue as the prior year on the new taxable roll (subject to the statutory computation). A recommended rate above rolled-back is what Florida’s TRIM process requires officials to announce as a percentage increase in property taxes relative to that baseline—even when the headline millage number is unchanged year over year. Here, recommended total countywide 5.6658 sits above rolled-back 5.3946 while remaining unchanged from FY26’s total countywide rate. That is a packet fact, not a political slogan.
Millage math owners use every September:
Taxable value ÷ 1,000 × millage rate = tax for that authority
One mill = $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. Your November bill will still stack school, city (if any), dependent districts, and independent districts on top of the countywide lines that belong in this chamber.
Homestead Save Our Homes example, TRIM literacy, and value disputes
The county packets illustrate homestead Save Our Homes (SOH) at +2.7%: an example taxable value moving from $273,975 to $281,373, with the county share moving from $1,552 to $1,594 (+$42). That is a packet example, not a promise for your parcel. Commercial, non-homestead, newly improved, and newly purchased properties follow different caps and reset rules—read your own Notice of Proposed Property Taxes (TRIM), not the illustration alone.
Your TRIM notice is not a bill. It estimates proposed taxes from January 1 values and proposed rates so you can attend hearings before rates are finalized. Payment comes later on the Tax Collector’s bill. For TRIM / notice tools from the Broward County Property Appraiser, start at bcpa.net/trim.asp.
Value disputes are a different track. Millage hearings set rates. The Property Appraiser sets values, exemptions, and classifications as of January 1. If you believe market value is wrong, or an exemption/classification is missing, use the Appraiser process first, then—if unresolved—a Value Adjustment Board (VAB) petition. Broward’s 2026 VAB portal lists a petition deadline of September 18, 2026: bcvab.broward.org/axiaweb2026. Speaking at a millage hearing about “my assessment is too high” may get a polite redirect. It does not stop the VAB clock.
Total budget snapshot (recommended)
From the recommended FY2027 snapshot in the county packets (Budget in Brief / companion materials):
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Operating | $5,621.0M |
| Capital | $2,886.6M |
| Debt | $720.3M |
| Total | $9,227.9M |
Owners briefing lenders, boards, or association packets should cite the PDF page—not a secondary paraphrase. Program lines below are likewise packet-recommended (or labeled workshop priority request where noted). They are not invented, and they are not yet “final adopted” until the Board finishes the Sept. 22 track.
Small business, film, economic development, CRA, and housing lines owners watch
Commercial landlords, contractors, small-business operators, and film/AI operators should annotate these recommended General Fund and related lines from the packets (see Operating Budget and Budget hub):
| Program / fund (recommended) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Office of Economic & Small Business Development (OESBD) GF | $7,269,280 (+5%) |
| Film Commission | $1,157,390 |
| Economic Development | $2,579,390 |
| Small Business Development | $2,144,110 |
| Economic Development Program fund | $3,223,550 |
| Local Business Tax fund | $807,500 |
| CRA payments | $57,547,000 |
| Affordable Housing Trust | $27,720,000 (GF transfer $25M) |
Film Lauderdale / $10.16M caveat (required): A $10.16M Film Lauderdale figure appearing in workshop materials is a PRIORITY REQUEST only. It is not confirmed as a Recommended line in the controlling recommended budget packets used for this checklist. Do not brief a bank, board, or production partner as if that $10.16M is already in the recommended adopted track. Stick to the Film Commission recommended line above unless a later posted packet expressly moves the priority request into Recommended status—and then cite that newer PDF.
For corridor and redevelopment owners, the $57,547,000 CRA payments line and the Affordable Housing Trust $27,720,000 (with a $25M General Fund transfer) are the packet anchors for “how much housing and redevelopment money is proposed to move,” not a substitute for reading each CRA’s own budget and notices.
BMSD corridor owners: capital, millages, fire, garbage, water/sewer
Owners and managers inside the Broward Municipal Services District should pull three different clocks from the same September calendar: ad valorem millages that are unchanged in the recommended materials, non-ad valorem assessments, and enterprise rate changes.
BMSD millages (recommended / unchanged in packets):
| Levy | Mills |
|---|---|
| MSD | 2.3353 |
| Fire MSTU | 2.6191 |
| Street Lighting | 0.3743 |
BMSD Capital in the recommended materials: $26,595,350.
Non-ad valorem / enterprise figures owners cite from the packets:
- Fire assessment: $190 residential
- Garbage: $390
- Water/sewer: +6.26% enterprise
Assessments and enterprise charges are not millage. They are service or utility charges set on their own schedules. Your TRIM face and your November bill may show different mixes. BMSD corridor owners comparing a city parcel to an unincorporated parcel are often comparing different stacks—not a single countywide 5.6658 story.
How to speak on Sept. 10
Public comment is part of the hearing, not a courtesy sidebar. Broward’s posted process for this track:
- Speak in person at the hearing.
- Use the speaker form: Microsoft Forms signup.
- Submit one form per agenda item.
- No signup after the item is called.
Practical owner habits:
- Tie your remarks to what a first TRIM hearing can still do—rates within the recommended frame, a specific budget amendment question, or a request that staff clarify a program line (OESBD, Film Commission, CRA payments, BMSD capital, enterprise rates).
- Bring parcel ID, taxable value from your TRIM, and the PDF page you are citing.
- Keep value/exemption fights on the BCPA / VAB track (VAB deadline Sept. 18, 2026).
- If you cannot attend, watch Granicus and preserve the packet PDF you used—social screenshots are not a substitute for the county CDN files.
Owner checklist — before Thursday, Sept. 10
- Re-open your 2026 TRIM notice. Confirm it is a notice of proposed taxes, not a bill. Highlight proposed columns vs. “if no budget change.”
- Download the controlling Broward PDFs: Understanding Your Budget, Operating, Budget in Brief. Annotate millage 5.6658 / 5.3529 / 0.3129, rolled-back 5.3946, ad valorem $1,903,345,939, and certified roll $335,935,955,775 against the PDF pages.
- Check the Budget hub and Granicus AgendaViewer for late attachments. Newer posted PDF wins.
- Calendar both hearings: Thu., Sept. 10, 5:01 p.m. (first) and Tue., Sept. 22, 5:01 p.m. (final), Governmental Center East, 115 S Andrews Ave, Room 422 typical.
- If you will speak: complete the speaker form one form per item, before the item is called. Prepare one concrete ask.
- Map your stack: countywide + (if BMSD) MSD / Fire MSTU / Street Lighting + city/school/independent lines on your notice. Do not brief a board on “the county rate” alone.
- BMSD owners: note capital $26,595,350, fire assessment $190 residential, garbage $390, water/sewer +6.26%, and unchanged BMSD millages 2.3353 / 2.6191 / 0.3743.
- Small biz / film / AI operators: annotate OESBD GF $7,269,280, Film Commission $1,157,390, Econ Dev $2,579,390, Small Biz Dev $2,144,110, Econ Dev Program fund $3,223,550, Local Business Tax fund $807,500. Do not treat Film Lauderdale $10.16M as Recommended.
- Corridor / housing: note CRA payments $57,547,000 and Affordable Housing Trust $27,720,000 (GF transfer $25M).
- Separate your tracks: value/exemption → BCPA / VAB by Sept. 18. Millage/budget → Sept. 10 and Sept. 22 hearings.
- After Sept. 10: watch for any amended recommended materials ahead of the Sept. 22 final hearing; after finals, watch Tax Collector November bill instructions—not for TRIM to morph into a payment coupon.
FAQs
Are the 5.6658 / 5.3529 / 0.3129 figures final? No. They are recommended figures from Broward’s FY2027 budget packets heading into the Sept. 10 first public hearing. Finals are what the Board adopts on the Sept. 22 final-hearing track (or any lawful continuation). This report will not invent finals.
The total countywide rate is unchanged from FY26—does that mean my county tax is unchanged? Not necessarily. Unchanged millage on a larger taxable value can still collect more dollars. The packets also show recommended 5.6658 above rolled-back 5.3946. Your parcel’s taxable value (and homestead vs. non-homestead status) drives the county share on your notice.
What is the homestead example in the packets? SOH +2.7% illustration: taxable $273,975 → $281,373; county share $1,552 → $1,594 (+$42). Example only—check your TRIM and BCPA TRIM tools.
Does Sept. 10 set my school or city tax rate? Not as a substitute for those authorities’ own hearings. Attend or track each hearing listed on your TRIM for each line that taxes your parcel. This chamber’s lane is the county (and BMSD-dependent) package on the county agenda.
Is Film Lauderdale $10.16M in the recommended budget? No—not as a confirmed Recommended line in the packets used here. It is a workshop PRIORITY REQUEST only. The Film Commission recommended line cited above is $1,157,390.
What should BMSD corridor owners watch besides millage? Packet figures for BMSD Capital $26,595,350; fire assessment $190 residential; garbage $390; water/sewer +6.26% enterprise; and unchanged BMSD millages MSD 2.3353, Fire MSTU 2.6191, Street Lighting 0.3743.
Where do I fight my assessed value? Property Appraiser first; VAB petition if needed. VAB deadline in the Broward portal materials: September 18, 2026 — bcvab.broward.org/axiaweb2026. TRIM tools: bcpa.net/trim.asp.
Can I sign up to speak after my item is called? No. County instructions for this track: one form per item, and no signup after the item is called. Use the speaker form early.
What about the November 3 ballot (HJR1F / SB4F)? Treat FY28/FY29 revenue-hit estimates tied to that ballot as a caveat only for longer-range planning—not as a substitute for the FY2027 recommended millage and budget numbers that control this September’s hearings. Do not invent FY27 impacts from a future-year ballot scenario.
What to do before Sept. 10 (this week)
Print the recommended millage table. Download the three CDN PDFs and the Granicus agenda. Decide whether you are speaking about rates, program/budget lines within the recommended frame, BMSD assessments/enterprise charges, or something that belongs at the BCPA/VAB before Sept. 18. Put 5:01 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, 115 S Andrews Ave on the shared calendar—and block Sept. 22 for the final hearing. Fiscal year 2027 opens October 1 on schedule either way.
For the Palm Beach County twin on the final-millage side of the same September calendar, see the Gazette’s PBC FY2027 final millage hearing Sept. 15 package—process cousin, different county packets.
Sundaze Gazette will treat any later-posted Sept. 10/Sept. 22 packet revisions as controlling for final-rate reporting. Until the Board adopts finals, every millage and program dollar in this story stays labeled what Broward’s recommended FY2027 materials say it is: recommended (or workshop priority request, where noted).
Source notes (end matter)
Primary documents: Broward Understanding Your Budget, Operating Budget, Budget in Brief, Budget hub; Granicus publisher and AgendaViewer event_id=1941; speaker form; BCPA TRIM; VAB 2026. All millage, levy, BMSD, and program figures in the body are attributed to Broward County’s FY2027 recommended budget packets and remain recommended pending Board action at the Sept. 10 and Sept. 22, 2026 public hearings. Film Lauderdale $10.16M labeled workshop priority request only—not a confirmed Recommended line. No invented figures; no Palm Beach County packet numbers used as Broward proxies.
AI disclosure (publish line): AI assisted research and drafting; human editorial standards apply; Brian D’Antoni approves publish.
