Martin County presented its tentative fiscal year 2026 budget during a workshop that county staff said funds current services, fully supports public safety and builds reserves for future capital needs and debt payoff. Stephanie Murley, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said her office has been preparing the budget since December and reviewed more than 10,000 line items.

The tentative FY26 document — which Murley said is more than 500 pages — will move to two public hearings before final adoption. Murley said the first hearing will be Sept. 10 at 5:05 p.m. and the final hearing will be Sept. 23 at 5:05 p.m.; the adopted budget would take effect Oct. 1, 2025. “When we compile all of that together, that is what we present to the board of county commissioners in the FY26 tentative workshop as a proposed budget,” Murley said.

Why it matters: The budget sets property tax (ad valorem) millage rates, funds county services and constitutional officers, and establishes the county’s capital improvement plan for the next 10 years. Murley told hosts the tentative plan maintains service levels for libraries, parks, fire rescue, information technology and other departments while also funding the operating budgets of separately elected constitutional offices such as the sheriff and property appraiser.

Most important details: Murley’s office of 11 staff said it analyzes departments’ line items “for efficiencies, savings, or if we need to reallocate funds.” She said capital projects account for about 13% of the countywide budget. The office emphasized three priorities it described as best-practice budgeting: maintain services, reduce debt and build reserves for emergencies such as hurricanes and to mitigate economic downturns.

The county also highlighted its transparency efforts. Murley noted the budget won the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 27th consecutive year and received a special recognition for the budget’s financial policies. She said the online budget offers interactive charts and a searchable budget document designed to make the information accessible to residents.

Taxes and timing: Murley explained that ad valorem refers to property taxes and said residents can expect a Truth in Millage notice in mid-August showing proposed millage rates applied to property values determined by the Martin County Property Appraiser’s Office. The county manager and board of county commissioners set the millage rate after public hearings; Murley reiterated that the board is the appropriation decision-making body for county and constitutional-office budgets.

Next steps and public participation: The office encouraged residents to review the FY26 tentative budget online and to attend the Sept. 10 and Sept. 23 public hearings. Murley said the tentatively adopted budget is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2025.

Ending: The county’s tentative budget presentation framed FY26 as a plan to sustain current services while strengthening fiscal reserves and reducing debt; the document and interactive budget tools are available on the county website for public review ahead of the September hearings.