Brevard County commissioners tentatively set aggregate property tax millage rates and read a revised tentative budget at the first budget hearing on Sept. 10. The budget office reported an aggregate tentative millage rate of 4.5129 — 5.43% above the county's aggregate rollback rate of 4.2806 — and a revised tentative FY 2025–26 budget of $2,510,399,801, an increase of $189,967,259 (8.19%) over the current budget.

The numbers were read into the record by Budget Office staff before public comment. The board voted to tentatively adopt the set of millage rates in a single motion; the clerk announced the motion passed, and commissioners then heard the revised aggregate millage and budget totals aloud.

Why it matters: the millage rates adopted tonight determine how much property-tax revenue the county will compute for distribution across county services and voter-approved taxing districts; the tentative figures will be finalized at future hearings and after statutory notice requirements.

The board's action and context: Commissioner Goodson moved to adopt the tentative millages with a second from Commissioner Altman. The clerk recorded the tentative adoption of millages as passing. Later in the hearing, the board considered a resolution adopting the county's FY 2025–26 budget. Commissioner Goodson moved and Commissioner Altman seconded that resolution; the motion passed 4–1, with Commissioner Delaney recorded as voting no.

Budget office staff told commissioners the tentative millage rates were set to fund board priorities including public safety (notably a fire-rescue wage package), higher funding needs for constitutional officers, an increased mandatory Medicaid contribution to the state, and voter-approved millages for the fire control MSTU and parks and recreation. The budget office also emphasized that any changes to millage rates would require recalculation and announcement under subsequent agenda items.

What commissioners said: Commissioners discussed process and timing. Commissioner Delaney voiced concerns during the hearing about capital-equipment tracking, vendor procurement, and whether some capital purchases in the budget reflected items already received. That commissioner also opposed the tentative budget resolution in the final roll call. Other commissioners supported moving forward with the tentative documents to meet statutory deadlines.

Next steps: The tentative rates and budget will be revisited at subsequent budget hearings where itemized millages and the final budget will be adopted after the statutorily required notices and any adjustments.

Ending: No final millage or final budget adoption occurred tonight; the board set tentative rates and the tentative budget as required by Florida's budget process and scheduled follow-up hearings where final adoption and per-district millage votes will occur.