The Port St. Lucie City Council on Sept. 22 adopted a $869,811,393 budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year and set the city's final millage rate at 4.975 mills, council members said at a special meeting.

City finance staff told the council the operating millage was adopted at 4.6607 mills, a 0.02-mill reduction from the prior year's operating rate of 4.6807, and the voted debt service millage was set at 0.3143 mills. The staff presentation said the rollback rate is 4.3413 mills, and that the adopted total represents a 6.02% increase over the rollback rate. Caroline Sturgess, director of the Office of Management and Budget and Procurement, read the required public-notice language and the figures during the hearing.

The budget ordinance (Ordinance 25-50) and the millage ordinance (Ordinance 25-49) were put to public hearing; no members of the public signed up to speak. Both ordinances were moved, seconded and approved without recorded individual roll-call votes during the meeting; the clerk announced the motions carried.

Sturgess also described a revision to funding for the Port St. Lucie Boulevard project. She said staff revised the fiscal-year contribution for "Port Saint Lucie Boulevard, segment 2.2" from a previously shown $6,200,000 to $300,000 after recent discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). "The balance of $5,900,000 will continue to remain as a set aside to fund any future overages for capital projects," Sturgess said.

Sturgess explained earlier planning had set aside $11,400,000 for the Boulevard project when city staff anticipated that amount; the actual project cost came in at about $23,900,000 (rounded to $24,000,000). She said FDOT agreed the city's total contribution would be $3,800,000 rather than $11,400,000, and that the city previously transferred $3,500,000 to FDOT to start work. "The balance of that $11,400,000 will remain in our reserves," Sturgess said, "and that will be available to fund any future capital projects." She added that the $300,000 is what the city is budgeting for the upcoming fiscal year to pay contractors and help expedite completion.

Council members commented on the millage reductions. Mayor Martin said the council should be proud that the city has lowered its millage rate for a tenth consecutive year. A council member noted that over the decade the reductions amount to roughly a 25% decrease in the millage rate.

Sturgess told the council that TRIM notices were mailed to property owners in August and that the required newspaper advertisement ran on Sept. 18 to meet state notice requirements. She also advised that the budget figures are estimates based on current information and that staff would return for council approval if a project came in above the adopted amounts.

The meeting was convened as a special session; after the votes the mayor declared the motions carried and adjourned the meeting until 6:00 p.m. on the date specified in the agenda.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 25-49 (Ad Valorem millage rate) ' Motion to approve ordinance 25-49; mover/second not specified in the audio; public hearing held; outcome: approved (motion carried). Ordinance 25-50 (Budget adoption, FY 2025'26) ' Motion to approve ordinance 25-50; mover/second not specified in the audio; public hearing held; outcome: approved (motion carried).