Commission adopts FY2026 budget, sets revenue-neutral tax rate at 1.42

Commissioners voted to adopt the county FY2026 budget and set a revenue-neutral tax rate of 1.42. During discussion, commissioners reviewed long-term capital project schedules that accompany the budget. An amendment to strike proposed future EMS station placeholders for 2030–2031 was offered and debated; the motion to remove those long-range placeholders failed. Commissioners emphasized that the long-term project schedules are planning documents and not appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year. The commission also approved the appropriation resolution required by law for the adopted budget and advanced the county’s nonprofit and school-related budget items as presented. Commissioners repeatedly cautioned that substantive changes to the published budget could trigger republication requirements and that changes after the statutory deadlines could not be made without restarting statutorily required notices. Commissioners asked staff to route specific long-term project questions (for example, station locations and cost details) to appropriate committees, including emergency management and health committees, for further review.