Winter Haven city commissioners adopted a 6.59 millage rate for the 2026-27 budget year on Sept. 28, after rejecting Commissioner Chad Davis’s last-minute push to use $1 million in excess reserves to cut property taxes.
The rate passed 4-1, with Davis casting the only no vote. Commissioners then adopted the city’s $377,158,764 budget by the same 4-1 margin.
Before the final vote, Davis moved to amend the millage ordinance to 6.3888 mills. He said the cut would come from the city’s $4.5 million in unassigned fund balance, leave $3.5 million of that excess untouched and give Winter Haven the sixth-lowest millage rate in Polk County. The amendment failed…