Doral's City Council voted Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to adopt its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, cutting the city's property tax rate for the second consecutive year while pumping money into police staffing, road work, and park upgrades. The roughly $148 million spending plan across all funds takes effect October 1, and city officials say it does all this without adding a single new full-time position.
The council set the operating millage rate at 1.5994 mills — the rollback rate calculated under state law, meaning Doral collects the same total property tax revenue as the prior year once new construction is excluded, according to a legal standard defined in Section 200.065 of the Florida Statutes. City officials say that rate is now the lowest operating millage in Miami-Dade County, according to Miami's Community Newspapers. The vote followed preliminary approval of that same rollback rate on July 29, when the council passed it 4-1, with Vice Mayor Digna Cabral casting the sole dissenting vote, according to the Doral Family Journal.
Alongside the operating rate, the city also carries a voter-approved debt service millage for FY 2027, which was reduced following completion of Doral Central Park, the same outlet reports. The general fund — the portion of the budget covering core day-to-day operations — was reduced by 6% from the prior year.
Police Get New Units as State Money Covers Summit Costs
Mayor Christi Fraga said the city sought savings without sacrificing the services residents expect, adding that Doral is investing in community priorities while keeping the tax burden low. Under the adopted budget, the city put money into police personnel, training, technology and equipment, strengthened its traffic unit, and created a new crime suppression team. Design and permitting work also continued for a future police department headquarters.
Doral secured $2.75 million in outside funding from the State of Florida to help offset budget pressures, with $2 million earmarked for priority roadway projects and $750,000 set aside to cover additional police services tied to presidential visits and the G20 Summit. Without that state assistance, those added police costs would have placed additional pressure on the city's general fund.
Roads, Parks and Playground Upgrades Move Forward
The budget advances roadway, resurfacing, sidewalk and drainage work citywide, along with new trail segments. Playground replacements are planned at Doral Meadow Park, Morgan Levy Park and Downtown Doral Park, and the city will continue parking and recreation work at Doral Central Park — the 82-acre flagship project that Hoodline previously reported includes plans for a revenue-generating parking garage topped with recreational space. That park transformation represents an estimated $168 million project, incorporating a 70,000-square-foot indoor recreation center, a double gymnasium, an elevated indoor track and an aquatic complex, according to CBS News, with the broader park system's improvements anchored by a $150 million General Obligation Parks Bond that voters approved in 2018, according to Miami Today.
City Leans on Reserves and Non-Tax Revenue
The city holds an AAA bond rating from Fitch Ratings and an AA+ rating from S&P Global Ratings, and officials say Doral maintained its financial reserves while preserving the ability to invest in future priorities. Fitch upgraded the city's Issuer Default Rating and General Obligation bonds to AAA from AA+ back in September 2024, citing Doral's low long-term liabilities, robust reserves and budget flexibility, per Fitch's own research.
Officials say they evaluated the future Doral Central Park parking garage, along with event and recreational spaces and other strategic uses of city property, as potential revenue sources.
That search for non-tax revenue also extends to Doral 10, an affordable senior-living community the city plans to develop through a public-private partnership, according to the Doral Family Journal. City officials say they evaluated Doral 10 for its services, amenities and potential to generate revenue for the city.
City officials say the full FY 2027 budget is available on the City of Doral's website for residents who want more detail on how the new spending plan breaks down.
