Monroe County adopts FY2026 tentative budget, raises millage and trims county size; nonprofits face funding cuts

Monroe County commissioners adopted a tentative FY2026 budget and tentative millage rates on Wednesday after a lengthy presentation and public comment period that focused on state oversight of local spending and steep cuts to nonprofit grant funding.

County budget staff presented the tentative FY2026 figures and said the county faces an uncertain near term because of a state initiative to review local government spending. "The teeth that the bill had was if the executive office of the governor finds that a local government is not participating with them, they can fine that local government $1,000 a day," County Administrator Christine Hurley told the commission while outlining the governor's executive order and subsequent data requests from the governor's office.

John Quinn, the county budget presenter, said the FY2026 tentative budget reflects a year‑over‑year reduction driven by capital spending and tourist development dollars being shifted to the capital plan; he and staff summarized the tentative countywide ad valorem levy as approximately $170.8 million and noted an aggregate tentative millage rate of 3.3965. The countywide millage rate was set at 2.7327, an increase the county said…