Sarasota commission adopts 2025-26 budget, sets city millage at 3.273

The City Commission of the City of Sarasota on Sept. 3 adopted the fiscal year 2025-26 city budget and set the citywide millage at 3.273 mills, approving six related resolutions that also set budgets and millage rates for the Golden Gate Point Streetscape Special District and the Downtown Improvement District.

The action came after a presentation by Kelly Strickland, director of financial administration, who told commissioners the "total proposed city budget is 303,500,000.0. Of that, the general fund expenditure budget is 108,000,000." Commissioners voted separately on each of the six resolutions read by the clerk at the start of the hearing (Res. Nos. 25R3339–25R3344). An earlier motion to set the general fund millage at 3.3 mills failed; the commission then approved a substitute motion setting the millage at 3.273 mills.

Why it matters: the adopted millage and budgets determine city tax rates and spending levels for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and affect funding for capital projects, services and staffing. The commission also set district-specific millages for two special districts that add to some taxpayers' total rates.

During the…