FY 2025 BUDGET BOOK - Flipbook - Page 55
online resources, including electronic books and audio books for the people it serves.
6. Develop a competitive compensation/benefits plan to recruit and retain quality employees
that will place total compensation and benefits in the top quartile of a weighted average of
the private and the public sector in the labor market area.
➢ Amendment 2, approved by Florida voters in November 2020, mandates a gradual rise in the
State’s minimum wage to $15 over a six-year period. The City Commission established a plan
to meet the September 30, 2026, deadline. This plan involves annual salary increases for
employees and 5% COLA adjustments to the minimum and maximum pay ranges for each pay
category until October 1, 2026.
➢ To address the increasing minimum wage mandate, the Human Resources Department has
revamped the annual assessment and evaluation form, integrating measurable objectives
and numerical performance metrics. In FY 2024/25 City administration has made the decision
to grant merit wage increases beyond the standard cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) raise.
The supplementary increase of $1,000 flat pay is specifically designed to mitigate
compression concerns that may arise when both the minimum wage adjustments and the
current employee wages are simultaneously increased.
7. Continue to improve the City’s economic development approaches.
➢ Continue to develop Economic Development programs and incentives to help attract new
businesses and support the growth and expansion of existing businesses. This, combined with
the City’s entrepreneur development efforts through the UCF/Eustis Business Incubator,
supports ongoing job creation, diversifies the local economy, keeps unemployment low,
generates new taxes to pay for governments services, and enhances the City’s overall quality
of life.
8. Facilitate public relations programs that establish and maintain a positive image of the
City.
➢ Maintain a set of public relations strategies to provide timely information to the public, media,
employees, and other important stakeholders that helps them make informed decisions,
cultivates and sustains a favorable image of the City, and supports positive resident-togovernment and business-to-government interaction.
9. Continue to pursue grants to support City projects, initiatives, and activities.
➢ Identify and apply for grant opportunities that can fill funding gaps and/or supplement the
funding needed to complete projects, initiatives, and activities undertaken by the City.
Priorities and Challenges
Priorities
➢ The Finance Department of the City of Eustis is dedicated to developing a budget that aligns
with the GFOA Budget Award criteria, showcasing the City’s commitment to adhering to
industry-leading practices in budget management. The department has identified the need
to evaluate the City’s current financial software system to enhance its financial operations and
transparency. The evaluation process will begin with a thorough review of the existing software
system to determine if there are capabilities that are being under-utilized. Advancing technology
within the Finance Department will improve efficiency and effectiveness in financial processes,
enabling the department to better serve other City departments and residents.
➢ In FY 2023/24, the City contracted with an independent consultant to conduct a thorough
review of water, sewer, stormwater and other related utility rates. The City’s most current rate study
was conducted in-house and is outdated when taking into consideration the high inflation rates
experienced during the last couple of years. The study aims to determine revised rates for
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