Port Richey adopts tentative FY 2025‑26 budget, sets millage at 6.29; manager signs stormwater grant application

Port Richey — The Port Richey City Council adopted a tentative fiscal year 2025‑26 budget and set the city’s millage rate at 6.29 during a Sept. 4 budget hearing, and councilmembers raised no objection after city staff signed a short‑notice $187,000 stormwater grant application that requires a roughly $62,000 local match.

City Manager Andrew Butterfield opened the meeting’s budget discussion, noting the first reading was held “as required by state law,” and introduced Finance Director Adam Thompson’s presentation on revenues, reserves and spending. Butterfield said staff would accept council feedback before final adoption per TRIM procedures. “As required by state law, the first reading of the budget for fiscal year ’26,” Butterfield said.

The budget keeps the millage at 6.29, a reduction from figures discussed earlier in workshops and slightly below the rollback rate cited in the presentation (6.2976). Butterfield said the city’s reserves will remain above the council’s 30% policy target and that the tentative budget includes a 3%…