FY 2027 Departmental Budget Review Sessions with the Budget Advisory Board on May 20, 2026

The City of Fort Lauderdale's Budget Advisory Board convened on May 20, 2026, for their FY 2027 departmental budget review session. Key procurement-related discussions focused on capital improvement projects, including updates on stormwater infrastructure projects such as Victoria Park, Southeast Isles, Melrose Manor, and Riverlin, with a notable $172 million project awarded to David Mancini. The Public Works and Utility Services departments presented their budgets, highlighting a baseline budget of approximately $120 million for Public Works and a requested increase to $112 million for Utility Services, driven by operational changes including a $20 million availability payment for the Prospect Lake facility. The newly formed Capital Projects department discussed staffing challenges and the implementation of project management software (Microsoft Projects and Procore) to improve project execution and contract compliance. They also requested decision package funding for consulting services to assist with project scoping, cost analysis, and constructability reviews to optimize project delivery and address budget shortfalls. The board deliberated on scheduling special meetings to finalize budget recommendations and discussed the strategic approach for presenting a comprehensive fiscal balancing plan to the city commission, emphasizing the need for a cohesive narrative and data-driven recommendations. While the new city hall project was acknowledged, the board agreed to defer detailed discussion and recommendations until after the July commission meeting when more information would be available. Motions were passed to hold a special meeting on June 10, 2026, to accommodate extended budget discussions prior to the regular meeting.