Gadsden County adopts tentative $70.1 million budget, sets tentative millage at 9 mills after public protest

GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. — The Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 15 adopted a tentative countywide budget of $70,092,617 and set a tentative millage rate of 9.0 mills after a public hearing that drew dozens of residents urging the board to hold the line on property taxes.

The action came after the board and county staff described the county’s budget pressures — higher wages and benefits, rising insurance and workers’ compensation costs, and the end of nonrecurring federal ARPA funding — and residents urged commissioners to adopt the rollback rate of 8.6383 mills instead of a higher rate. The board previously advertised a tentative rate of 9.5 mills; commissioners voted to lower that to 9.0 mills during the hearing.

Why it matters: The tentative millage and budget set the maximum taxes countywide may collect in the 2025–26 fiscal year and begin the legally required notice process leading to the final budget hearing. The vote preserves the county’s ability to fund public safety, roads and other services while leaving room for adjustments before a final adoption on Sept. 30.

Finance director presentation and county numbers

Gadsden County’s finance director, identified in the hearing as Miss Raynack, told commissioners the budget advertised as tentative would require higher operating spending than last year. "This budget that you see on the, on the screen right now ... it is 11.8% more in operating expenditures than last year," Raynack said in the presentation, and explained the increase reflects higher personnel costs, loss of one-time ARPA funds and higher insurance and workers’ compensation premiums. Raynack said property values certified by the property appraiser have risen and that the advertised 9.5-mill rate would generate roughly $2.7 million for the county at that level.

Public comment: steady opposition to any millage increase

More than two dozen residents addressed the board during the required public hearing. Many said increased property assessments have already raised homeowners’ bills and asked commissioners to adopt the rollback rate rather than raise the millage.

"I'm here again to ask that you adopt the rollback rate and not raise the millage rate," said Marcella Blocker, who gave her address in Quincy during the public testimony.

Other speakers described fixed incomes, rising insurance costs and questioned county spending priorities. Several urged a detailed review of departmental spending or one-time solutions such as zero-based budgeting. Commissioners acknowledged the public’s concerns and said staff and departments had been asked to identify cuts and efficiencies.

Department requests that shaped debate

Several department heads presented budget requests and operational needs that commissioners cited during debate:

- Fire services: Fire coordinator Andre Walker told the commission the county’s contracted and volunteer fleet includes engines up to 25–35 years old and estimated a new engine at roughly $600,000 and a tanker at roughly $600,000. He asked for a multiyear plan to replace vehicles and improve ISO-related infrastructure; commissioners and staff urged Walker to return with a station-level repair list and response metrics.

- Public works: Public Works Director Curtis Young, joined by project manager Lakisha Perkins, said the department is short staffed and that equipment shortages have left only five operable mowers out of 11. The department requested funds for recruitment, competitive pay and replacement equipment, noting the current lease versus buy costs for heavy equipment and an estimated buyout or lease increase for replacement equipment.

- EMS: Gadsden EMS Chief Dwayne Ford and Deputy Chief Chris (last name not given) presented a staffing and scheduling proposal to reduce overtime and improve retention. The department is operating under a 48/96 schedule with 11 full‑time vacancies; their proposal to shift to a 24/72 schedule was presented as roughly equivalent in annual cost to a $1 hourly raise under the current schedule and was framed as a retention tool to reduce overtime and burnout.

Commission action and next steps

The board took three formal actions described in the meeting record:

- The board voted to set the tentative countywide millage at 9.0 mills. The motion to set the millage at 9.0 mills was moved from the dais and the clerk recorded the vote as passing 3–2.

- The board voted to adopt a tentative fiscal year 2025–26 countywide budget in the amount of $70,092,617 (all funds). A motion to adopt the tentative budget passed during the same hearing.

- The board directed county staff to advertise a final public hearing on the tentative millage and budget for Sept. 30, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the commission chambers, as required by Florida’s TRIM process.

A county attorney/staff read statutory findings and a resolution into the record citing Florida Statutes sections used for the TRIM process. The resolution language and the finance director’s presentation contained slightly different taxable-value figures and totals that multiple speakers noted during public comment, which staff said they would reconcile before the final hearing.

What commissioners said

Commissioner Chris Simpkins, who has urged the board to use the rollback rate during the budget process, reiterated that stance in the hearing: "As you all know from the very beginning of this budget season, I have asked that we base this budget on the rollback rate," he said, citing concern for the county’s many residents on fixed incomes.

Several commissioners said they were asking departments for further cuts and efficiency ideas and that the Sept. 30 final hearing would be the next moment for public comment and any final changes before adoption.

Context and caveats

- The millage rate adopted at this hearing is tentative; Florida law allows the board to reduce the rate at a later hearing but not to increase it above the advertised tentative rate. The board set the tentative figure at 9.0 mills and scheduled the legally required final hearing and advertising for Sept. 30.

- Departmental requests (fire trucks, additional EMS staffing, public‑works equipment and mowing crews) were presented as part of the budget workshop/hearing; the board indicated it will prioritize and may reallocate within the adopted tentative total ahead of final adoption.

- Multiple residents and several commissioners flagged discrepancies between numbers presented on the screen and those in the resolution; staff said they would reconcile those figures and provide updated documentation before Sept. 30.

Next steps: The board will accept additional public comment and may amend the tentative budget at the final public hearing scheduled for Sept. 30, 2025, before formally adopting the fiscal year 2025–26 millage and budget.