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County sets maximum millage, schedules tentative and final budget hearings
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners set maximum proposed millage rates for fiscal year 2026, approved submission of the millage notice to the Florida Department of Revenue and set tentative and final budget hearings for September while staff presented a balanced draft budget that awaits state revenue projections.
The Board of County Commissioners voted July 22 to set a proposed maximum general property tax millage of 8.8441 mills and 1.1 mills for the fire municipal service taxing unit (MSTU), and approved submitting the millage notice to the Florida Department of Revenue. The board also set the tentative budget hearing for Sept. 9, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. and the final budget hearing for Sept. 23, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. in the BOCC chambers.
County staff presented the draft fiscal year 2026 budget during the meeting. "It does not set a final millage rate," county staff member Michelle Young said, explaining that the action establishes a maximum that the board may later lower but not exceed. Young said the proposed FY 2026 budget is balanced "as we stand today," but noted the county is still awaiting state revenue projections from the Economic & Demographic Research office (EDR).
The presentation identified two funds with operational shortfalls: the transportation fund, which "has historically run at a deficit," and the E‑911 fund, which Young said lost grant capacity after a change in its size designation by the E‑911 board. Young told commissioners that the recurring expenses needed to address those shortfalls are accounted for in the general fund, which allows the countywide budget to remain operationally balanced.
A commissioner moved to set the maximum millage and approve submission of the millage notice; another commissioner seconded the motion, which carried. Separately, a motion to set the dates, times and location for the tentative and final budget hearings passed after a second. Later in the meeting a commissioner moved to approve the tentative balanced budget and to advise staff of any additions or deletions to consider during the remainder of the budget development process; no vote on that motion was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
There were no public speakers recorded on the budget items in the transcript excerpt. The board’s actions on July 22 establish the maximums required under Florida’s property tax notice process and set the local schedule for the statutorily required hearings; the millage and final budget remain subject to change before the Sept. 23 adoption hearing.
