Palm Coast council sets proposed 2026 budget, agrees to cut millage rate by 0.1 mill

Palm Coast City Council on Aug. 26 reviewed a consolidated proposed fiscal year 2026 budget that staff said totals about $697,533,000 and agreed by council consensus to present a proposed millage of 4.0893 — a reduction of 0.10 mill from the 2025 rate of 4.1893 — at the Sept. 10 tentative-adoption hearing. Helena Ragsdale, the city budget presenter, said the overall change in the general fund is an increase of $7,400,000, or 12.2 percent, and that the big drivers in the citywide numbers are water, wastewater and capital projects. "Overall change of $7,400,000 or 12.2% increase," Ragsdale told the council during the presentation.Why it matters: The proposed budget groups more than a dozen funds across operating, capital and utility accounts. Council members stressed the need to keep the general-fund millage as low as possible while also acknowledging infrastructure spending projected for the coming years, especially water and wastewater capital work that staff said will total in the hundreds of millions. The city manager…