How Mount Dora is run
Who runs Mount Dora, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Mount Dora's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Who runs Mount Dora
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- City puts 15% of salary into his 401(a) retirement account
- $500 a month car allowance
- City-paid $500,000 term life insurance policy
- Same health insurance as other city employees
- City-issued cell phone
- Council health and life insurance budget: $24,500 (FY2027)
- Council travel budget: $4,000 (FY2027)
Mount Dora city staff
277 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 61, Fire 35. FY2025. Police officers and firefighters count as one full-time position each. City of Mount Dora · Jul 16, 2026
Florida has no statewide pay database. The budget shows salary totals by department but no pay list by position. The city manager's contract is public. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Mount Dora in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The FY2027 general fund budget keeps the 6.3000 mill tax rate, 5.03% above the rolled-back rate, uses $1,612,125 carried over for projects already approved, and sets aside $1,000,000 for contingency and budget stabilization. A Raftelis study for the council, on the Oct. 6, 2026 agenda, built five- and ten-year general fund forecasts, including possible revenue losses from changes to property tax law. City of Mount Dora · Oct 6, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $11.3M (2025-09-30). The city's own target: Keep unassigned general fund balance of at least 17% of the year's operating spending and transfers out, less one-time capital. If it falls below, the city must adopt a plan to rebuild it within five years. City of Mount Dora · Jul 16, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Property taxes$14.3M · 39%
- Payments from city utilities (return on investment and payments in lieu of taxes)$5.3M · 14%
- Charges to other city funds for shared services$4.4M · 12%
- Utility and communications taxes$3M · 8%
- State-shared revenue (half-cent sales tax, revenue sharing, gas tax)$2M · 5%
- From money carried over for approved projects$1.6M · 4%
- Franchise fees (electric, gas, trash)$1.2M · 3%
- Transfer from the fire assessment fund$1.1M · 3%
- Other (permits, fines, fees for services, county and state aid, rentals, donations)$4M · 11%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (including county dispatch)$8.3M · 23%
- Parks, recreation, library and facility care$6.1M · 16%
- Administration (council, manager, clerk, attorney, finance, customer service, HR, IT, communications, warehouse)$5.8M · 16%
- Fire and EMS$5.3M · 14%
- Roads, streets, urban forestry and building maintenance$3.2M · 9%
- Property tax increment paid to the city's two redevelopment agencies$2.1M · 6%
- Planning, economic development and code compliance$1.8M · 5%
- Other citywide costs (transfers to capital projects and fleet, $1 million contingency, retiree health, insurance)$4.3M · 12%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Of each property-tax dollar a Mount Dora homeowner pays, about 34 cents goes to the city. The county's fire and stormwater taxes apply only outside the city. For FY2026-27 the city kept its rate at 6.3000 mills.
34¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Mount Dora
- City of Mount Dora6.3 · 34%
- Lake County School BoardState-required 3.0870 plus local 2.99806.085 · 32%
- Lake County5.0254 · 27%
- Lake County ambulance district0.4629 · 2%
- North Lake Hospital District0.3859 · 2%
- Lake County Water Authority0.294 · 2%
- St. Johns River Water Management District0.1793 · <1%
- Lake County voter-approved debt0.04 · <1%
- Total (mills)18.7725
2025 tax year (FY2025-26) rates for a home in the city of Mount Dora (Lake County). Lake County Property Appraiser · Oct 8, 2025
See what a Mount Dora house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Mount Dora is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityMount Dora Police DepartmentCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- FireThe cityMount Dora Fire Department (2 stations)City of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- EMS (paramedic response)The cityMount Dora Fire DepartmentAll operations personnel are EMTs or paramedicsCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- 911 and police dispatchThe countyLake County Sheriff's OfficeCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- Water and sewerThe cityCity of Mount DoraCity of Mount Dora · Jul 16, 2026
- ElectricityThe cityCity of Mount Dora electric utilityBuys wholesale power from the Orlando Utilities CommissionCity of Mount Dora · Jul 16, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of Mount DoraCity of Mount Dora · Jul 16, 2026
- LibraryThe cityW.T. Bland Public Library (city)Member of the Lake County Library SystemCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of Mount DoraCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- City streetsThe cityCity of Mount DoraCity of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | PinecrestFL | Mount DoraFL | Panama City BeachFL | Punta GordaFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 18,206 | 18,896 | 19,581 | 20,446 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $207,600 | Not current (2021) | $185,000 |
| Council member pay | No salary | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,460 | $1,956 | $3,770 | $1,939 |
| Debt per resident | $2,750 | $3,029 | $4,471 | $5,195 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $472 | $27 | $421 | $88 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 14.7 | 24.2 | 17.2 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Mount Dora pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Mount Dora publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2025 audit report is dated July 16, 2026, after the June 30, 2026 deadline. It is posted on the Florida Auditor General site. Florida Auditor General
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe FY2027 adopted budget and a detailed line-item supplement are posted on the city's Budgetary & Financial Documents page. City of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe 2024 employment agreement is in the May 7, 2024 council agenda packet on the city's CivicClerk meetings portal. City of Mount Dora · May 7, 2024
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineMinutes list each member's yes or no vote on roll calls, e.g. the 6-0 vote adopting the FY2025 budget. City of Mount Dora
- No: Employee pay publishedBudgets show salary totals by department, not pay by position. Florida has no statewide pay database. The city manager's contract is public. City of Mount Dora · Sep 15, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2027 general fund budget keeps the tax rate at 6.3000 mills, 5.03% above the rolled-back rate, and sets aside $1,000,000 for budget stabilization. What did the Raftelis forecasts show about later years?
- The FY2025 audit report is dated July 16, 2026, after the state's nine-month deadline. What will the city change to file on time?
- Unassigned general fund reserves were $11.3 million on Sept. 30, 2025, against a 17% minimum. How does the council plan to use the amount above the minimum?
Help decide what comes next
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