Fort Pierce adopts 6.9 millage; proposes $67.8 million general fund for 2025–26

At a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, the Fort Pierce City Commission voted to adopt a tentative millage rate of 6.9 mills and to adopt a proposed fiscal year 2025–26 general fund budget balanced at $67,787,211.

City finance staff presented the proposed budget and said the city’s taxable property values rose to $4,883,727,890 (a 10.46% increase), which pushed up projected ad valorem revenue to $33,697,722. The staff presentation said the city did not increase its millage rate; the higher bills that some residents may see reflect higher property values, not an increase in the 6.9‑mill rate, which exceeds the rollback rate of 6.6109 by 4.37%.

The budget package presented to commissioners allocates significant funding to the Fort Pierce Police Department and includes personnel and capital changes. The police operating budget is listed at $22,857,002.71, or 33.7% of the general fund. The budget adds two personnel positions: a deputy city manager role and a city engineer. It also includes a 5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for non‑bargaining employees (217 employees; $907,000) and a step increase plus 6% for sworn officers (128 officers; $924,005.32). Operating budgets for departments were reduced by 3% overall; the proposed capital budget includes $1,148,026 for approved CIP projects and a restricted $600,000 set aside for capital expenditures to be used in fiscal year 2026–27.

City staff described enterprise and special revenue fund changes: solid waste shows a budget increase tied to a rate adjustment campaign; animal shelter and stormwater decreases were described as project‑driven (stormwater had an approximate $1.3 million fund balance in the current year tied to a one‑time project). Staff also noted a decrease in some state‑distributed revenues based on recent trends and legislative changes. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds were described as increasing for project‑based uses including traffic signals, emergency lights, and park improvements.

Commissioners discussed internal controls over unused personnel funding. The presenter said unspent personnel allocations remain in the general fund and are not reallocated without following city procedures; expenditures under $50,000 are managed by staff, while amounts over $50,000 come to the commission for approval.

The commission voted on several motions during the special meeting. The roll call for the recorded votes on the millage rate and the tentative general fund budget shows Commissioner Broderick, Commissioner Gaines and Mayor Pro Tem Johnson voting yes on the motions.

Public comment at the hearing included city residents and business owners. Svetlana Sena, identifying herself as a new resident and a business owner at Renaissance Financial Center, urged the commission to use budget resources to address visible homelessness downtown and to invest in marina, port and tourism infrastructure. A second commenter, Jamie Zamora, said data the group had presented about municipal salaries came from public records and criticized the city’s published payroll data as misleading; Zamora added, “the Fort Pierce police officers are undervalued and are being lost to agencies that treat them better.” Another commenter voiced support for higher police pay to retain staff.

The commission scheduled the required second public hearing for the millage ordinance and the final budget reading on Sept. 15. The ordinances presented at the meeting included Ordinance 25‑026 (levying a final millage rate of 6.9 for fiscal year 10/01/2025–09/30/2026) and Ordinance 25‑027 (adopting the final budget for the same period); both were read and advanced in the meeting on first reading. The ordinances indicate an effective date of Oct. 1, 2025, subject to the normal public hearing and adoption process.

The commission thanked staff and department heads before adjourning the special meeting.