Oviedo staff lays out FY25-26 personnel, capital priorities and proposal to use reserve funds

City staff on a council work session presented a prioritized list of requested personnel additions and capital projects for fiscal year 2025–26 and asked council for direction on which items to prioritize and whether to use portions of the city’s unassigned fund balance to pre-fund selected projects.

The presentation, led by Mr. Cobb, identified four request categories: personnel, capital improvement projects (items greater than $25,000), capital outlay (items under $25,000) and facilities maintenance. "Please bear in mind though, as we go through this process, this process is not a guarantee of absolute funding," Cobb told council, adding that staff wanted council priorities up front so funding decisions later in the budget cycle could reflect them.

Why this matters: staff said recurring personnel costs are treated cautiously because they add to the base budget while capital is generally one-time spending. Council direction now will shape which positions and projects staff try to fund when final revenue numbers (property valuations and state estimates) come in later in the spring…