Hillsborough commissioners approve $7.5 million swap, fund safety and children’s programs; HOPE housing dollars remain

Hillsborough County commissioners on July 30 approved a plan to convert $7.5 million of countywide budgeted dollars to unincorporated-area revenue and adopted several specific spending allocations, while retaining the remaining balance of a set-aside for affordable housing known as the HOPE fund.

The action came during the board's annual budget reconciliation public hearing, where the county also set preliminary millage rates that will appear on TRIM (truth-in-millage) notices to property owners. Kevin Brickey, director of management and budget, presented the administrator's recommended fiscal year 2026 total budget of $12,088,000,000 and said about 24 percent of the operating budget goes to public safety.

Why it matters: The approved swap and subsequent project votes shift how $10 million that had been previously encumbered in the HOPE ordinance is available for tax relief and unincorporated-area priorities, while leaving a portion available for affordable housing. The board also set the county's maximum millage rates for the TRIM notice process, a required step under Florida law.

At the start of public comment, residents urged the board to protect funding for…