Flagler County adopts tentative FY2026 budget and millage rates, schedules final hearing for Sept. 22

The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 11 adopted tentative millage rates and the amended tentative FY2026 budget and scheduled the second (final) budget hearing for Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at 5:01 p.m. at the county board chambers in Bunnell.

The financial-services staff presented the amended tentative budget and explained that the county’s aggregate proposed operating millage for the countywide levy (general fund plus the voter-approved environmentally sensitive lands operating millage) is 7.9945 mills for FY2026. That rate is 4.98% higher than the calculated rollback rate of 7.6151 mills. Staff said the amended tentative budget total is $335,772,213, a net increase of $5,980,007 compared with the original tentative budget of $329,792,206 presented in July.

What the millage covers: The FY2026 tentative millage package adopted by resolution includes several components: the general fund levy (7.8695 mills), the voter-approved environmentally sensitive lands (ESL) operating millage (0.125 mills), the ESL debt-service millage (0.0855 mills) and the judicial center general-obligation bond millage (0.1 mills). The combined millage cited by staff totals 8.18 mills for FY2026 (a small decrease from FY2025’s total of 8.2343 mills when including debt components), but the operating aggregate noted for rollback comparison was 7.9945 mills.

Public comment: Residents at the hearing voiced concerns about tax increases and urged commissioners to find and cut waste. One new resident, Rich Strickland, urged the board to “find a way to cut some cost” and cautioned that residents on fixed incomes could be forced to leave. Other commenters discussed tradeoffs between countywide revenue options (for example, a half-cent sales tax) and placing new obligations on property owners in parts of the county.

Formal actions and votes: By roll-call vote, the commission adopted resolution 2025-73 setting the tentative millage rates (Motion: Commissioner Hansen; Second: Commissioner Pennington) and then adopted resolution 2025-74 to set the amended tentative FY2026 budget (Motion: Commissioner Hansen; Second: Commissioner Pennington). Both measures passed on unanimous roll-call votes. The board also adopted the FY2026 capital-improvement program by unanimous vote earlier in the meeting.

Next steps and timeline: The board scheduled the legally required second public hearing to adopt final millage rates and the final FY2026 budget for Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at 5:01 p.m. in the same chambers. The second hearing must occur within 20 days and be properly advertised under Florida’s Truth in Millage (TRIM) requirements.

Context and constraints: Staff and commissioners noted limits on how certain revenue sources may be used (for instance, tourism taxes have statutory limitations) and emphasized that some funding mechanisms—if pursued, such as a local-option half-cent sales tax—would require interlocal work with municipalities and potentially a voter referendum to implement.

Ending: County staff will continue to refine budget details and will present the final millage and budget for adoption at the Sept. 22 hearing. The FY2026 tentative numbers set a framework for public input and final decisions next week.