DEERFIELD BEACH, FL — Deerfield Beach is preparing to walk residents through a $426.2 million proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 that funds the biggest structural change in the city's public safety operations in decades: a transition from contracted Broward Sheriff's Office service to city-run police and fire rescue departments.
The City Commission has scheduled a budget workshop for Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m. at the Hillsboro Community Center, 50 Hillsboro Technology Drive, according to the meeting notice and the agenda face sheet for File I.D. 2026-323. The workshop is a presentation and discussion item, not a vote. Final adoption of the budget and millage rate is scheduled for September.
The proposed FY27 budget totals $426.2 million across all funds, up about $40.3 million, or 10%, from the $386 million FY26 budget, according to the budget presentation. The General Fund alone grows 18%, from $180.4 million to $212.8 million.
City staff are proposing a total millage rate of 6.1648 mills, a slight decrease from the current 6.1729 mills. The presentation shows the operating portion would remain at 6.0018 mills for a seventh consecutive year, with voted debt millage dropping from 0.1711 to 0.1630.
For the average Deerfield Beach single-family home, with an assessed value of $329,279 and a standard $50,000 homestead exemption, the city's portion of the property tax bill would come to roughly $1,721.70, according to the staff presentation. The average condo bill would be about $691.40. The presentation notes Broward County's average single-family value is roughly 37.5% higher than Deerfield Beach's.
Police and fire rescue stand-up
The largest single driver of the FY27 budget is the city's establishment of its own Transitional Police Department and Transitional Fire Rescue Department, which together account for 332 new positions in the proposed budget. According to the personnel summary, the city would grow from 551 total positions in FY26 to 881 in FY27.
The Transitional Police Department, led by Transitional Police Chief Daniel Morgalo, is proposed to add 149 positions, including patrol officers, sergeants, detectives, and support staff, according to the organizational chart in the presentation. The Transitional Fire Rescue Department, led by Transitional Fire Chief Chantal Botting, is proposed at 183 positions, including 81 firefighters, 24 driver engineers, 28 lieutenants, 24 captains, and 8 battalion chiefs.
The city's contracts with BSO would remain in the FY27 budget at $81.4 million during the transition, up $5.8 million from FY26, according to the presentation. That includes $39.5 million for law enforcement and $41.9 million for fire rescue.
Citywide personnel costs are projected to climb 62%, from $40.3 million to $65.4 million, the presentation states. That figure reflects both the new public safety departments and a 4% cost-of-living adjustment plus a 3% merit increase for city employees.
Fire assessment fee under review
The presentation lists two options for the fire rescue assessment fee in FY27: hold the current rate of $350 per residential dwelling unit, which would generate about $19.8 million, or increase it to $365, which would generate roughly $20.6 million. Staff materials say an increase in the BSO Fire Rescue contract is anticipated effective July 1, 2026.
The Commission is scheduled to adopt a preliminary fire rescue assessment rate and stormwater assessment resolution at its July 7 meeting, according to the budget calendar.
Capital improvement plan
The five-year capital improvement plan totals $284.3 million from FY27 through FY31, with $62.4 million proposed in FY27. The Utilities Capital Fund accounts for the largest share at $31.8 million.
Major FY27 capital items in the presentation include $29.4 million in construction-manager-at-risk services for water plant rehabilitation, $5.3 million for Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue stormwater improvements, $5 million for city bridge rehabilitation including the SE 15th Avenue Bridge replacement, $2.4 million for the Crystal Lake Drive and NW 45th Street Local Agency Program project, and $1.5 million for citywide street resurfacing.
The CIP also includes $750,000 in Community Redevelopment Agency funding for Cove Shopping Center lighting and landscape improvements and $430,000 for a Front Street Collective feasibility study and placemaking initiative in the Cultural Arts District.
Items to monitor
The presentation lists several items city staff plan to track during the budget cycle, including the proposed state property tax amendment, possible reductions in Broward County services tied to that amendment, continued FEMA uncertainty, the housing and rental market, the Dixie Highway to local road conversion, and a projected seven-year construction window for SW 10th Street improvements.
City staff also identified $1.73 million in General Fund expenditure reductions across eight departments through what the presentation describes as "lean budgeting," with the largest reductions in Parks and Recreation, the Office of Public Safety, and Planning and Development Services.
Credit and debt
The city's financial advisor, Davenport Public Finance, is scheduled to present a credit and debt overview during the workshop. The presentation notes Deerfield Beach is rated AA+ by Fitch, most recently reaffirmed in February 2026, and AA by S&P. Davenport materials state the city has roughly $72.9 million in tax-supported par debt outstanding and is in compliance with its debt policies, with capacity available for additional borrowing.
What happens next
The Broward County Property Appraiser is scheduled to certify 2026 taxable values to ad valorem taxing authorities on July 1. The Commission is scheduled to adopt preliminary fire rescue and stormwater assessment resolutions on July 7. The city manager's formal budget message is due to the Commission by August 15. The first public hearing on the tentative budget and millage rate is scheduled for September 9, and the final adoption hearing for the budget, millage rate, fire rescue assessment, and stormwater assessment is scheduled for September 14.
Tuesday's workshop is open to the public and includes time for public input and comments, according to the presentation outline.
City budgets, tax rates, grants, capital spending, and major public investments are key parts of Boca Post’s Deerfield Beach Government reporting.
