Hillsborough County officials outline fiscal 2026 priorities, flag pressure on unincorporated-area fund

Hillsborough County officials offered an initial overview of the fiscal year 2026 budget framework at an April 23, 2025, budget workshop, saying countywide finances remain strong but the unincorporated-area general fund faces continued pressure from growth-driven public safety needs.

County Administrator Bonnie Wise opened the workshop by noting the process timeline and public hearing schedule and reminding the board that no votes would be taken at the workshop. Kevin Birkey, director of Management and Budget, told commissioners the county has maintained AAA credit ratings and “strong reserves,” then reviewed the county’s adopted FY 2025 budget as context for FY 2026 planning.

The presentation showed the county’s FY 2025 total budget at about $10.331 billion and an operating budget near $3.97 billion. Birkey told the board the two operating general funds — the countywide general fund and the unincorporated-area general fund — are where the board has the most discretion; together those two funds rely heavily on property tax revenue. “A third of [current revenues], a little over a third of that, 36% is from ad valorem property taxes,” Birkey said. He reported countywide taxable value growth of about 6.8% this year and a conservative FY 2026 estimate of about…