BOYNTON BEACH, FL — Boynton Beach is trying to do something it has never done: lower its property tax rate.
At a special meeting on July 14, 2026, the City Commission directed the city manager to review the proposed 2026-2027 budget and bring back options that would let commissioners adopt what would be the first rollback property tax rate in Boynton Beach history, according to a city media advisory.
The move is not final. And for residents, it comes with a trade-off: to help pay for the lower tax rate, the city is also weighing a higher fire fee.
Here is what the city is actually proposing. As required by state law, Boynton Beach adopted a proposed maximum millage rate of 7.7500 mills on June 30, 2026. That is the rate that will show up on the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes — the "TRIM notice" — mailed to property owners. The city says its goal is to bring that number down to the rollback rate of 7.4257 mills at the final budget hearings, but only if staff can find budget changes that make the lower rate work.
A rollback rate is the tax rate that would bring in roughly the same amount of property tax revenue as the year before, excluding new construction, even as property values rise. In plain terms, it keeps the city's overall tax haul close to flat rather than letting it grow with the market.
According to the city, the rollback rate under consideration also sits below the current Consumer Price Index increase — about a 4% reduction compared with inflation. The city frames that as the tax rate rising more slowly than the cost of living.
The lower rate would come at a cost to the city's books. If adopted, the rollback rate would reduce Boynton Beach property tax revenues by roughly $2.7 million, the advisory says.
To offset part of that gap and keep funding fire rescue services, the options under review include raising the city's Fire Assessment from $145 to $170. That increase would generate an estimated $1.5 million dedicated to fire protection. Netted against the tax cut, the city estimates the combined moves would still reduce revenue by about $1.2 million.
The fire fee piece is already moving. As Boca Post reported, Boynton Beach commissioners gave preliminary approval to the $25 fire assessment increase — raising the residential rate to $170 — with a final vote expected in September.
To balance the budget at the lower rate, the city says staff are also looking for savings, including a temporary hiring freeze to manage vacancies, cuts to operating expenses, departmental efficiencies, and using fund balance for one-time costs.
The proposed 2026-2027 General Fund budget totals about $139.2 million, according to the advisory.
"This reflects our commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining the high level of service our residents expect," City Manager Dan Dugger said in the advisory. "We are working to bring forward a budget that would let the Commission consider the first rollback property tax rate in the City's history, showing that fiscal responsibility and quality public services can go hand in hand."
What residents should know is that nothing is locked in yet. The City Commission will take up the budget and the millage rate at public budget hearings on September 8 and September 16, 2026, when residents can ask questions and give input before any final vote.
The city says budget documents and hearing details will be posted to its website before the September hearings.
City budgets, tax rates, capital projects, and public spending decisions determine how Boynton Beach invests in its future. Boca Post tracks the votes and discussions that matter to local taxpayers.
