Sumter County adopts tentative 2025-26 budget, keeps millage at historic low while approving fire-area taxes

The Sumter County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 adopted a tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget and approved tentative millage rates during a special public hearing at the Everglades Regional Recreation Center in The Villages.

County Administrator Mr. Arnold presented an overview of the tentative budget, saying the document is a snapshot of estimates as of Sept. 2 that will be updated before the final budget hearing scheduled for Sept. 30. He told the board the tentative budget reflects constitutional officers’ funding requests and that the county expects changes in revenue estimates from the Florida Department of Revenue before the final adoption.

The tentative general fund millage rate was set at 4.89 mills — a rate the commissioners described as the lowest in Sumter County history — which the board cautioned nevertheless will appear as a proposed tax increase because it is higher than the rollback rate of 4.6684 mills. The board approved resolutions setting the tentative millage rates and the tentative budget in separate roll-call votes: the Village Public Safety dependent district municipal service taxing unit (MSTU) at 0.0464 mills, the Sumter County Fire and EMS MSTU at 0.8571 mills, the general fund millage at 4.89 mills (approved 4–1), the countywide aggregate millage at 5.0821 mills (unanimous), and the tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget (unanimous). The final budget and millage-rate hearing is set for 6 p.m. Sept.…