Florence, OR. — The City of Florence has officially adopted its biennial budget for fiscal years 2025–2027, totaling $77.1 million, with a focus on sustaining public safety, investing in infrastructure, and maintaining city services (City of Florence, FY 2025-2027 Budget, p. 9).
City Manager Erin R. Reynolds highlighted the budget as a roadmap for operational management and strategic investment. “I am proud to put forward this budget that has created a financial plan and roadmap for how we can operationally manage the City, invest in new capital, sustain public safety services, maintain what we have, provide excellent services with outstanding employees, retain those employees, and meet the City Council’s Goals,” Reynolds said (p. 11).
For the fiscal biennium there is $63.1 million in total current resources which representas an 8% increase over the prior biennium. The City of Florence’s 2025–2027 budget assumes a modest 1% growth in property tax revenue and a 3% rise in taxable assessed value, generating about $6.8 million for the General Fund while maintaining the city’s full permanent tax rate. With no new taxes proposed, the City instead plans to introduce a Public Safety Fee, the first new fee since 2012, to sustain police services. Other revenue adjustments include a 3% CPI increase, annual reviews and fee hikes for building permits, the end of an eight-year system development charge discount, and a 16% rise in internal service fees reflecting higher personnel costs. While Public Safety remains the top funding priority, parks which is Florence’s second most popular service continue to rely heavily on grants due to limited discretionary funds. Reynolds emphasized, “With a Public Safety Fee, the City can sustain and maintain existing levels of policing and emergency services” (p. 12).
Personnel costs, which now account for 29% of total expenditures, include 74 full-time equivalent positions—a slight decrease from the previous biennium of 1.5 positions (p. 13). “People are our most valuable investment, and we invest accordingly,” the budget message states. The budget includes cost-of-living adjustments and contractual market increases for City employees, including police officers (p. 27).
Capital investments for the biennium total $12.11 million, funding projects such as the NW 9th Street infrastructure to support affordable housing, Safe Routes to School sidewalks, stormwater stabilization projects, and expansion of the Florence Senior and Activities Center. The City plans to fund these initiatives using reserves, current revenues, grants, and donations enabling the budget to remain free from accruing additional debt funding (p. 14).
The adopted budget also emphasizes strategic operational development, including evaluating department structures and staffing to ensure alignment with service priorities and financial realities (p. 26–28). “Our personnel strategy aims to create balance between fiscal responsibility and effective employment practices,” Reynolds stated (p. 28).
For residents and stakeholders, the full adopted budget document is available online: City of Florence FY 2025-2027 Adopted Budget.
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