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 public hearing, Strickland and budget manager Tyler Harris reviewed the process that produced the proposal and key figures. Strickland said the total city budget proposed is $303.5 million, with a general fund budget of $108 million and a net overall decrease across funds of $2.1 million. She said the general fund proposed millage had been preliminarily approved over the summer at 3.3 mills but that commissioners could adopt a lower rate. The fiscal year covered by the adopted budgets is Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.

Public comment: resident Martin Hyde used his five-minute public-comment period to sharply criticize the commission’s spending priorities and recent contracts, calling the proposed budget incomplete and charging that it would result in a large tax increase. Hyde said, "In the chamber behind me on the right are lots of city staff ready to cut loose with another year of spending other people's money," and listed a series of projects and expenditures he criticized, including consultant contracts, recruitment costs and local projects he called uncompleted or speculative.

Commission discussion and votes: commissioners asked staff to explain several elements of the budget. Strickland confirmed negotiations with two unions remain unresolved and said raises were not included in the budget as presented; any negotiated increases would be returned to the commission as a budget amendment when finalized. On the likely fund impact of wage settlements, staff estimated roughly 70% of potential costs would fall to the general fund, with the remainder borne by enterprise funds; police costs were described as largely general-fund funded.

The commission voted on the six resolutions individually. After an initial motion to set the city general fund millage at 3.3 mills failed, Vice Mayor (speaker identified in the hearing transcript as the vice mayor) moved to adopt a millage of 3.273 mills; that motion passed unanimously. The commission then approved the city budget resolution and the resolutions setting millage and budgets for the Golden Gate Point Streetscape Special District (operating millage 0.6148; debt millage 0.5899) and the Downtown Improvement District (operating millage 2.0) by unanimous votes. Strickland noted the Golden Gate operating millage required a 4-0 vote because of state assessment changes; commissioners voted to approve it as presented.

Clarifying details recorded during the hearing include: the proposed general fund millage presented as 3.3 (current was stated as 3.0), the proposed citywide debt-service millage at 0.1348, the Golden Gate operating millage at 0.6148 and its debt millage at 0.5899 (both lower than some prior years as debts near payoff), and the Downtown Improvement District operating millage maintained at 2.0 mills. Strickland also reminded the commission that this hearing was the first of two public hearings on the budget; the second and final public hearing was scheduled for Sept. 15, 2025.

The commission handled related administrative matters after the votes; the meeting adjourned after announcements that one executive-search consultant had withdrawn from the search process.

Ending: With the commission’s unanimous votes on the adopted measures, the city’s fiscal 2025-26 budget and millage structure are set pending any amendments resulting from ongoing labor negotiations or other unforeseen developments. The commission will hold a second and final public hearing on the budget on Sept. 15, 2025.