Ocoee Begins 2026-27 Budget Process Ahead of September Hearings

Ocoee has begun the process of setting its fiscal 2026-27 spending plan and millage rate, with the first budget workshop scheduled for Aug. 5 and formal public hearings set for September.

The city’s published schedule lays out the dates for officials to develop and finalize the next budget. A second workshop is scheduled for Aug. 19 if city officials decide another session is needed. The tentative-budget hearing is set for Sept. 9 at 6 p.m., followed by the final-budget hearing on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

The September hearings are the key deadlines currently listed by the city. According to Ocoee’s official budget page, the hearings will determine the millage rate and the fiscal 2026-27 budget.

What the schedule does — and does not — show

The published schedule establishes the budget calendar, but it does not provide the financial decisions that will eventually come out of that process. The available city information does not show an adopted millage rate, a final budget amount, proposed line-item changes or recommendations from the Aug. 5 workshop.

As a result, the schedule alone does not establish whether Ocoee will raise or lower its tax rate, reduce spending or increase spending. It also does not identify which departments, services or projects could be affected in the coming fiscal year.

That distinction matters for residents and property owners. The millage rate and budget will shape the city’s next spending plan and have a direct connection to city services and property-tax bills. At this stage, however, the city has published dates for the decision-making process rather than a final tax or spending outcome.

August meetings are the next checkpoints

The first listed workshop was scheduled for Aug. 5, 2026. The city also lists Aug. 19 for a second workshop if officials determine it is necessary. That second session is conditional and may be canceled if the city decides the additional meeting is not needed.

Ocoee’s Agenda Center lists the Aug. 5 budget workshop and an Aug. 18 City Commission meeting. The center is the city’s official repository for agendas and minutes, making it the place to check for meeting materials and later records as the budget process advances.

The schedule separates the budget process into development, tentative approval and final approval stages. The August workshops provide the listed opportunities for the city to work through the budget before the September hearings. The Sept. 9 meeting is identified as the tentative-budget hearing, while the Sept. 23 meeting is identified as the final-budget hearing.

September decisions will affect the next fiscal year

Both September hearings are listed as City of Ocoee proceedings at Ocoee City Hall, 1 N. Bluford Ave. The city’s published information identifies 6 p.m. as the start time for each hearing.

No final budget amount or millage rate is included in the approved city information. Any conclusion about a tax increase, spending cut or specific service change would go beyond the published record.

For now, the practical local issue is the progression from scheduled workshops to the two September hearings. Residents following Ocoee’s finances can use the August meeting listings and the city’s Agenda Center to track what materials are added before officials determine the fiscal 2026-27 budget and millage rate.