Hernando County commissioners approve tentative FY26 budget and set millage; direct staff to seek further cuts

The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 11 adopted tentative millage rates below state rollbacks and approved a tentative fiscal year 2026 budget of $993,180,713, and set a final public hearing for Sept. 23. The vote to adopt the tentative budget and the vote earlier to set the millage each passed 5-0.

The board’s actions followed hours of presentations by county budget staff and debate among commissioners over reserve levels, proposed capital projects and requests from constitutional officers. Albert Bertram, the county’s budget presenter, summarized the revised figures at the end of the hearing: “The updated tentative budget is now $993,180,713,” he said as he read the recomputed millage and reserve figures.

Why this matters: Commissioners approved recommended millage rates that collectively sit under the state-computed rollback figures, producing a modest tax relief compared with the maximum allowable rates while leaving the county short of its 25% general-fund reserve policy. Some commissioners pressed for additional operating cuts and for constitutional officers to propose reductions before the final adoption; others warned that too-large cuts would reduce public-safety staffing and services.

Most important facts

- Tentative budget adopted: $993,180,713 (all funds). General fund portion reported during the hearing: $245,710,323. - Millage: The board approved recommended millage rates that are lower than the state rollback calculations. The recommended total county millage presented at the hearing was 7.8275 (rollback 8.0238). - Reserves: After the adjustments approved during the…