Jacksonville Beach adopts tentative FY2025‑26 budget, keeps millage at 3.9947 mills

The Jacksonville Beach City Council on Monday adopted a tentative operating budget for fiscal year 2025‑26 and approved a proposed millage rate of 3.9947 mills during the first of two required public hearings. The council also set a second budget hearing for Monday, Sept. 15, at 5:30 p.m.

The hearing opened with Mayor Hoffman reading the required statement on the proposed millage: "The budget for the city of Jacksonville Beach was prepared using the millage rate of 3.9947 mills. The rolled back rate is 3.8136 mills. The proposed millage rate of 3.9947 mills is 4.7% more than the rolled back rate," Mayor Hoffman said.

The nut graf: The tentative all‑funds budget before the council is approximately $248 million, about 5.6% higher than the prior year, and the general fund is roughly $33 million, up about 6.1%. Council members approved the proposed millage rate and the tentative budget after a presentation and brief questions of the city chief financial officer; no members of the public spoke during the hearing.

Ashley Gossett, the city chief financial officer, summarized the…