Oviedo property tax rate expected to stay flat

Following a nearly 20% city property tax increase a year ago, Oviedo homeowners can breathe easier for the upcoming fiscal year.

At its July 21 meeting, Oviedo’s City Council voted to adopt a tentative maximum millage rate of 5.9610, nearly flat from the 2024-25 rate of 5.9540. This would be in addition to the city’s 2003 General Obligation Bond millage of 0.1140. The new rate will result in a 6.1% citywide tax increase above the rollback rate of 5.6184. 

A rollback rate is “generally the amount of property taxes the property owner would owe if there were no change to the taxing authority’s budget,” according to the Florida Department of Revenue.

Millage rates are used to calculate property taxes, and the proposed rate would equal $5.9610 per $1,000 of assessed property value, meaning a homeowner of a property with a taxable value of $300,000 would pay $1,788.30 in annual property taxes to the city. The slight increase from 2024 factors in inflation, Mayor Megan Sladek said.

The adopted rate sets the maximum that the millage can be set to. It could be reduced, if Council decides it is able to, according to the budget. The proposed rate would result in ad valorem revenues for Oviedo of $25 million, a $1.9 million increase from the previous year.

The adopted and proposed millage rates in Oviedo since 2021.

The city of Winter Springs is looking to keep its rates flat for the coming year, as well.

Seminole County, which faces a $35 million deficit in its upcoming budget, on Tuesday voted 4-1 to increase its millage rate to 5.3751, a 6.4% increase. That’s a preliminary vote and could still see the rate amended. 

Oviedo’s 2024 increase contentious 

The 2024 increase led to vocal community opposition at the city’s Sept. 16 Council meeting. The previous increases since 2019 were 5.10%, 5.14%, 3.94%, 13.36% and 7.48%.

The city’s budget (LINK) was created using the new rate with enough proposed funds to fund the following: 

• Maintains FY 2024-25 Service Levels;

• Funds a 4% salary increase for General Government employees;

• Funds salary increases for Police and Fire Bargaining Units employees;

• Funds increases in benefits costs;

• Funds a 10% increase in Workers Compensation costs;

• Funds a 10% increase in General Insurance rates for Mayor and City Council members

• Funds increases in fixed costs such as leases, telephone, and utilities;

• Funds the Vehicle Replacement Plan;

• Funds capital items;

• Funds debt service costs for FY 2025-26;

• Funds capital purchases for IT as recommended by the IT Infrastructure and Organizational Assessment Plan;

• Complies with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practice of 16.67% Target Reserve Fund Balance; and

• Complies with the City’s Budget and Financial Policy of Maintaining a Minimum 15% Reserve Fund Balance

Public Arts Board shakeup

Oviedo’s Public Arts Board will see one member leave with four new members joining.

Jillian Morrisini, the sister of Council member Natalie Teuchert, joined the PAB in 2024 and would have served through 2026. She submitted her resignation letter on June 23 after learning of conflict of interest issues due to her being related to a Council member.

“Due to a newly identified conflict of interest related to my sister’s position as Deputy Mayor, I have been advised that I must step down from my role on the Board,” she wrote. “I am disappointed to leave this position, but I respect and understand the importance of upholding ethical guidelines and avoiding any potential conflicts.”

Teuchert said both she and Morrisini asked multiple times about any potential issues prior to her appointment, and were told by the city’s previous attorney it was allowed. However, City Council members recently learned of a Florida statute that restricts public officials from appointing relatives to a position that the official serves over in municipalities with a population of more than 35,000. Oviedo’s population sits at about 42,000 people.

“I really liked being on the board and felt I was able to give back to the community,” Morrisini said. “[But] when a law is as clear cut as it is, it has to be followed, and I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble.” 

She said she is excited to see a number of projects come to fruition in Oviedo, including the long-awaited Wings of Joy sculptures at Solary Park, which areis expected to be completed later this year.

With the open seat, City Council appointed four new members, to bring the board to its maximum size of nine. The new members are:

• Amber Waters, a virtual assistant and business manager who leads operations at Hawaii Fluid Art in Winter Springs
• Xavier Moss, who has taught art at museums, colleges, galleries and public schools, and currently lectures at MassArt and leads programs at the Orlando Museum of Art. He has also produced custom art pieces for the City of Oviedo
• Kimberly Boyle, who has worked as an air traffic controller at the Sanford Airport for the last 16 years
• Anna Thomas, who has a BA in art education and an MA in educational media and instructional design from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a former school library media specialist

Moss, Boyle and Thomas will serve three-year terms, while Waters will fill Morrisini’s role, with her term ending on Dec. 31, 2026.