Mayor presents near-$2 billion FY2026 budget; council and residents press for stormwater, roads and housing action

Mayor Jane Castor and Chief Financial Officer Dennis Rejero presented the City of Tampa—9s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget in a council meeting that opened with ceremonial remarks and moved to a focused, hour-long budget presentation and follow-up questions from council and dozens of public commenters. The administration described the proposal as a plan to preserve services while funding infrastructure, public safety, resilience and continued capital projects.

"This budget is our blueprint, a plan to deliver core services, modernize infrastructure, and invest in Tampa's future," Mayor Jane Castor said as she opened her remarks and framed the proposal around resilience, responsible spending and maintenance of the city's near-perfect credit rating. Chief Financial Officer Dennis Rejero then walked council through the details, calling the net recommended budget "just under $2,000,000,000 for all funds." He said the general fund recommendation is about $708 million and enterprise funds about $814 million, and highlighted major revenue and expenditure drivers.

Nut graf: The presentation set out large investments in public safety, pipes and stormwater work, and continued capital projects, but prompted repeated calls from council members and residents for faster, targeted spending on neighborhood flood protection, road resurfacing and housing recovery after last year's storms. The meeting did not adopt the budget; the administration said workshops are scheduled next month and public hearings will follow in September.

Most important figures and priorities

- Total (all funds): "just under $2,000,000,000," the CFO said. The mayor and CFO emphasized that the general fund and enterprise funds together cover the bulk of city operations. - Public safety: Mayor Castor said the proposed budget dedicates significant revenue to police and fire, and cited figures during her remarks that property-tax revenue projected at about $380 million and planned police-and-fire spending upwards of $455 million in the mayor—9s presentation. The CFO also showed a breakdown noting the general fund faces heavy…