Pasco County officials review FY2026 budget outlook; parks maintenance and road rehabilitation top debate

Pasco County budget director Amy Farrell told the Board of County Commissioners on the morning of the workshop that county staff was presenting a proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and seeking the board’s guidance before the Truth in Millage (TRIM) process.

At the heart of the meeting was a debate over how to fund parks maintenance and operations. The county is considering using a municipal services taxing unit (MSTU) created last year for parks, which was adopted at 0 mills in FY25, or finding funds inside the general fund. Farrell said staff modeled a range of scenarios and asked the board which funding mechanism and level it preferred before the July TRIM meeting.

Why it matters: the workshop laid out revenue and spending pressures that, under staff assumptions, would reduce county reserves in FY26. The discussion focused on whether to make the parks MSTU active (and at what level), how to treat public safety and other large programs, and how to protect core services while responding to deferred maintenance and capital needs.

Amy Farrell, the county budget director, summarized the county’s near-term picture and the assumptions that underpin staff recommendations. She said the June 1 property appraiser numbers showed “9.5% growth” and that staff were modeling revenue and allocation scenarios. On projected property-tax receipts she said, “we're expecting to see roughly 37,000,000 more dollars in property tax revenue.” Farrell also reported the broad FY26 gap under current proposals: the county would start the year with about $97,000,000 in fund balance, expect roughly $583,000,000 in revenue and about $629,000,000 in expenses, and finish the year with approximately $50,600,000 in reserves—about 35 days of operating cash against a 60-day target.

Parks: MSTU, stopgap options and board positions

The parks maintena…