Utilities and Solid Waste tentatively approve FY26 budget; solid‑waste assessment rises about $19.68 per parcel

The county's Utilities and Solid Waste department presented a tentative FY26 enterprise budget of about $69.8 million, a 6.83% increase driven largely by contractual and commodity cost increases and the addition of one FTE for plant maintenance. Department leaders told commissioners the utilities budgets are enterprise funds funded by rates and assessments, not by the county's ad valorem property tax.

Solid‑waste assessment increase: staff said the proposed solid‑waste assessment will increase by about $19.68 per parcel annually, raising the household assessment to an estimated $464.37 per property (assessment figures will be finalized at the August assessment hearing). The department said the increase covers rising contract and disposal costs.

Capital projects and system stats: Utilities staff outlined a planned design for the Tropical Farms water treatment plant expansion, estimated at about $4.6 million for design in the near term. Officials said the county currently treats roughly 12 million gallons per day of potable water production capacity and about 4.7 million gallons per day of wastewater treatment, and maintains hundreds of miles of water and wastewater mains and more than 1,100 grinder stations.

Board action: commissioners voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Utilities and Solid Waste budget. Commissioners asked for clarification on enterprise versus general‑fund impacts; staff confirmed the department is supported by rates, fees and assessments rather than current property tax revenue.

Ending: staff will return with the final solid‑waste assessment resolution in August and continue to advance the Tropical Farms design work as part of the FY26 capital plan.