Taxes are set to tick up in Winter Garden, at least for local businesses. At a Tuesday meeting, the Winter Garden City Commission signed off on the first reading of an ordinance that would raise the city's local business tax rates by 5 percent and penciled in a final vote for next Thursday. On the same night, commissioners also advanced a budget amendment that shifts roughly $3.5 million within the Fiscal Year 2025-26 general fund and cleared several development items, including a gym site plan for the new Boys & Girls Club and a piggyback contract for waste collection. City staff framed the moves as a way to sync fee timing with the budget cycle and lock in a more predictable revenue stream for services that support both residents and the businesses that pay the bill.
Commission approves first reading for 5% increase
According to West Orange Times & Observer, commissioners backed the ordinance's first reading with a unanimous vote. Planning Director Kelly Carson reminded the board that the city has not increased these fees in a very, very long time, and staff told officials the adjustment is designed to create a predictable schedule for periodic tweaks that keep pace with inflation. Agenda documents cited by the paper also note that the ordinance would revise the procedural timeline for future local business tax changes so they better line up with the city's budget calendar and internal administrative steps.
How the increase fits into city rules
Winter Garden's municipal code lets the commission raise local business tax rates in odd-numbered years by up to five percent, or by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, which is the legal hook for the 5 percent proposal, per Municode. The city mails renewal notices at the end of July and requires local business tax receipts to be renewed by Sept. 30, which makes timing critical for fall invoices, according to the city's Business Tax FAQ. Staff said that the combination of code and calendar is exactly why they want a regular, scheduled process instead of one-off changes.
Budget reallocation and development approvals
The commission also gave first-reading approval to a budget amendment that reallocates $3,498,494 in the general fund for items ranging from Garden Theatre funding to alley paving and previously authorized firearm purchases, as reported by West Orange Times & Observer. In the same meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a piggyback contract with Waste Management and signed off on a site plan for a gymnasium and walking track at the new Boys & Girls Club branch. The agenda wrapped up with a series of logistical actions tied to downtown development, including street closures and temporary-use requests connected to an upcoming hotel groundbreaking.
Next steps and what to watch
The tax ordinance now heads back to the dais for a required second reading at the commission's next regular meeting on Thursday, July 23, where the public will be able to weigh in during the hearing or follow along through agendas and meeting materials on the city's City Commission page. Businesses wondering what a 5 percent bump might do to their renewal bill can reach out to the city's Business Tax Division or review the Business Tax FAQ on the city website. If commissioners adopt the increase on second reading, staff says the updated schedule will kick in according to the timetable already spelled out in the ordinance and in city code.
