The Gulfport City Council on a special called meeting unanimously approved a resolution to set a public hearing on the city's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget for Sept. 2 at 5:15 p.m.

Council members emphasized that the vote only schedules the hearing and does not adopt or finalize the budget. "Yes, Mr. President, there is a statutory duty for all municipalities, and all governing bodies for that matter, to set a date for a public hearing on that governing body's proposed budget," said a city legal advisor during the meeting.

The hearing-setting resolution passed by voice vote after a motion from Councilmember Shellers and a second; the council recorded five members present for the vote and carried the measure unanimously.

Why it matters: Setting the hearing starts the formal public-notice and comment window that will allow residents and council members to review a refined budget draft before the council votes to adopt a final budget. As the council discussed, the actual adoption can occur after the public hearing; council members were told by staff and counsel that adoption could occur in the period around Sept. 9 through Sept. 15 or thereafter, subject to statutory notice requirements.

Discussion and next steps

Several council members used the brief special meeting as an opportunity to press for items they want considered as staff finalizes a recommended budget. Councilmember Buckner asked that specific items be added or reviewed in the draft, naming contracts with Gulf Breeze and expanded community cleanup resources as priorities. "I'm just asking about, certain items that, I would like on the budget, including the budget, such as the the contracts, those contracts with, Gulf Breeze," Buckner said.

Buckner also raised neighborhood concerns he said affect his ward, including overgrown trees blocking street lights, the need for more cleanup crews, requests for digital stop signs to address speeding, and homeless encampments that he said exist along Thirtieth Avenue. He said some of those needs should be reflected in the final budget and asked for written commitments.

Council members and staff described the budget process that will follow. A draft budget had been provided to councilmembers on two prior occasions; staff said the first draft showed a significant deficit and that a second draft released the day before the meeting was a "vast improvement," though still a work in progress. Staff and counsel told the council that department heads will appear at a noticed meeting (the public hearing night) to answer questions department by department, and that councilmembers may propose additions or reallocations before adoption.

Mayor's office and staff availability

The mayor reiterated an open-door offer to meet with council members to discuss specific budget items outside public sessions, while noting those meetings must avoid forming a quorum of the council. Staff said digital and physical copies of the drafts were made available to councilmembers and the public, and that a refined draft would be presented as soon as possible ahead of the Sept. 2 hearing.

Formal actions and votes

The council approved two formal measures at the special called meeting: a motion to declare the special-called meeting and append notice to the resulting minutes, and a resolution authorizing the publication and setting of the public hearing on the proposed FY2026 budget for Sept. 2 at 5:15 p.m. Both measures passed by unanimous voice vote with five members present.

What's next

Staff said they will continue refining the draft budget with department heads and working to close the remaining deficit; councilmembers may propose changes after the department-level discussions at the noticed hearing. The council may adopt a final budget at a later noticed meeting, with adoption timing to follow statutory notice windows discussed during the meeting.