Board tentatively approves FY26 CIP; debate centers on House of Refuge, fire station funding and parks master-plan timing

At a lengthy workshop on April 22, the Martin County Board of County Commissioners tentatively approved the fiscal year 2026 capital improvement plan (CIP) as the basis for the tentative annual budget, while signaling there will be further review during the budget process. The workshop reviewed departmental capital requests, fixed-asset replacement budgets, and a 10-year plan. The board gave tentative approval to most departmental CIP sheets while several items prompted close debate and recorded dissents.

Shelby Baker, budget/CIP coordinator, summarized the countywide CIP and said the plan identifies projects for the subsequent 10-year period and that projects in year one will be included in the tentative FY26 budget. The countywide CIP presentation noted an approximately $5.1 million ad-valorem increase in the FY26 CIP overall compared with FY25 and described high-priority projects across departments including parks, utilities, stormwater, public buildings and public…