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 public-safety costs (public safety takes up roughly 60% of the general fund on his slides).
- Infrastructure and resilience: The administration highlighted $350 million already invested in flood relief projects since 2019 and said FY26 will add major projects, replacement of water and wastewater pipes (the "pipes program"), and new investments in stormwater resilience, including temporary generator installations and a pump-station rapid-response capability. The mayor said the city will invest in permanent backup generators over the next two years.
- Water treatment innovation: The administration said Tampa is leading with a suspended ion-exchange system to remove PFAS from drinking water.
- Capital and debt plans: Rejero presented a five-year CIP totaling roughly $1.7 billion and said the city plans additional non-ad valorem debt issuances in future years (the administration cited a planning figure of about $252 million for non-ad valorem issuances tied to particular capital programs and noted a large anticipated wastewater issuance for the pipes program). He said the city had earned multiple credit upgrades since 2019.

Discussion highlights: stormwater, paving and housing

Council members and residents pressed the administration to accelerate stormwater maintenance and neighborhood-level projects rather than rely on large, longer-term projects that critics said may not provide near-term relief.

- Stormwater maintenance vs. large projects: Several council members and residents said basic maintenance and spot projects would reduce flooding more quickly than large, multi-year projects that can take years to design and build. Councilman Brian Carlson (referring to earlier South Tampa work) and others asked why some capital projects were prioritized while routine maintenance and drainage work remain backlogged.

- Fund balance and resurfacing: The FY24 undesignated fund balance was a focal point. Council members had earlier identified categories to use that balance; Rejero said the mayor'9s recommended allocations largely match council'9s requests but left roughly $2 million unallocated for timing and economic uncertainty. Council members pressed the administration over what they described as a surprise change in how much of that fund balance would be spent on paving; Councilman Charlie Miranda and others said a prior council allocation for paving had appeared to be reduced without direct council notification. Rejero explained the funds remain in fund balance until they are appropriated by financial resolution and that the administration'9s recommendation reflected timing and spending feasibility concerns.

- Housing and disaster recovery: The presentation showed a reduced FY26 general-fund supplement for housing compared with FY25, and the administration said it recommended replacing some general-fund housing support with a revolving housing fund balance to give the housing department more flexibility. Rejero also highlighted a large federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation to the county (Hillsborough County), which he said will likely direct substantial housing recovery dollars to projects in the city once HUD approves county plans. Council members urged the city to expedite housing repair and recovery for residents displaced by last year'9s storms.

- Nonprofit/social-action funding: The administration recommended trimming the social action and arts fund and proposed a $1,000,000 allocation for community nonprofits in FY26, structured as $100,000 per council member and $300,000 for councilwide allocations, with city-owned assets (aquarium, zoo, Straz Center) separated out. Council members asked for clarity on application criteria and expressed discomfort with a model that would treat $100,000 as an automatic per-member discretionary allotment without clear eligibility standards.

Debt and capital planning

Rejero gave an extensive briefing on the city'9s debt profile and capital plan. He noted seven credit-rating upgrades since 2019 and described a conservative glide path for debt service that, after near-term issuances, will create debt-capacity in later years. He reviewed potential non-ad valorem issuances by program (fire, mobility, parks, general government) as part of long-range planning and emphasized that timing will be based on project schedules and spend-down needs.

Public comment: neighborhoods demand faster action

A lengthy public-comment period focused on stormwater, neighborhood investments and the budget'9s distribution across the city.

- Ariela Danley (speaking as the daughter of the late Councilwoman Gwendolyn Henderson) urged prioritized funding for East Tampa, Palmetto Beach and other neighborhoods: "We're asking for the basics. Fix our streets and sidewalks, fund home repairs, and keep people housed."
- Residents from East Tampa, West Tampa and South of Gandy raised similar concerns about FEMA and municipal recovery steps, cleanup communications, and the need for economic development and housing assistance rather than only downtown or tourism-focused projects.
- Multiple residents and council members said routine stormwater maintenance and accelerated repaving would deliver faster relief to flood-prone neighborhoods than some large-scale proposals.

Council process notes and next steps

Council did not adopt the FY26 budget at the meeting. Rejero and the administration said the full recommended budget documents would be posted online at noon and that the city will hold two workshops next month followed by public hearings in September to consider adoption. Council members reminded each other of the charter process for appropriation: unspent funds remain in fund balance until the mayor requests and council approves appropriation by financial resolution.

Ending: items set for further review and schedule

Council scheduled additional procedural actions and hearings on consent and agenda items at the start of the meeting; the administration said the FY26 timeline includes workshops and public hearings this summer before final adoption. Council members and residents signaled that they will press for clearer, faster funding paths for stormwater maintenance, neighborhood flood relief, and housing recovery during those workshops and hearings.

(Quotes are verbatim from the meeting transcript and attributed to named speakers.)