employees and reduce the cost of employee turnover.

• ●A $1,000 flat pay increase is included to retain employees and remain competitive. This pay was calculated for full-time City employees. This results in a total salary increase in FY 2026/27 of $263,000 (Salary & Benefits Increase/Decrease, page 8).
• ●FICA payments increased by $83,548 (Salary & Benefits Increase/Decrease, page 14).
• ●Police, Fire, FRS and City pension contributions decreased by $17,304, (Salary & Benefits Increase/Decrease, page 8).
• ●Health and life insurance costs increased by 2.9% or $146,698 (Salary & Benefits Increase/Decrease, page 8).
• ●The General Liability / Workers Comp. / Property Insurance costs increased by 8.1% City-wide for a total insurance premium of $1,008,000 (General Fund Expenditures, page 125)
• ●The total amount of the Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2026/27 is $17,395,385. The some of the most significant project in the FY 2026/27 budget is the Ground Storage Tank in the Water Department at a cost of $1,700,000. The replacement of the City's Enterprise Resource Planning software system is budgeted in the General Fund in the Finance Department for $600,000 and the remainder is budgeted in the Water/Sewer Utility for $850,000. The Lake Willie Dock Expansion project has been budgeted at a cost of $700,000, however the City will receive $350,000 from Florida State Appropriations to offset the cost. The build-out for the Fire Administration and the Building Department is budgeted in the Sales Tax Fund for $320,000 and Building Department for $320,000. The City strives to maintain a robust street maintenance program, guaranteeing well-maintained roads and rights-of way for the benefit of its residents and visitors and ensuring safe and efficient transportation throughout the community. The City has been awarded a CDBG -MIT grant through the State of Florida Department of Commerce in the amount of approximately $1.5 million for road resurfacing. The Stormwater Utility Fund supports projects that enhance and expand stormwater infrastructure. These projects include the construction of new stormwater facilities, maintenance of existing systems and implementation of stormwater best management practices. The Community Redevelopment Fund has budgeted $500,000 each over the next three years for the Downtown Implementation Plan. The City of Eustis is moving forward with a commission-adopted Downtown Master Plan to revitalize the city center and expand the waterfront. The actionable blueprint includes redeveloping the former Waterman Hospital site into a mixed-use district, upgrading Ferran Park, and adding multi-modal trails, boat slips, and streetscape improvements. Other significant projects include City-wide street resurfacing and sidewalk maintenance within the community redevelopment area, design and construction for cemetery improvements, various Parks and Recreation projects, and other Water and Sewer Renewal and Replacement projects.
• ●The City strives to be a competitive employer in the region with regards to both salaries and benefits. With this goal in mind, the City continually reviews all compensation and internal and external equity decisions. Any pay increase/decrease for the Fire and Police departments must be negotiated by the respective union contract.

7