Brooksville council tentatively sets FY2026 millage at 6.5 mills, adopts tentative budget

The City of Brooksville on the first public budget hearing set a tentative ad valorem millage rate of 6.5 mills for fiscal year 2026 and adopted a tentative budget balanced at that rate.

The city clerk read the advertised notice that the proposed rate of 6.5 mills is a 13.23% increase over the current rollback rate of 5.7407 mills. The tentative budget presented to the council balances revenue and expenditures using that 6.5-mill rate, city staff said.

Why it matters: The millage rate determines property tax revenue available to the city. Councilors debated whether to set a lower tentative rate now and leave room to reduce spending, or to set 6.5 mills to avoid dipping into reserves and to fund a new capital improvement program (CIP) and other immediate needs.

City staff and council provided numbers during the hearing. The council was told the draft budget includes $1,500,000 in department budget cuts, an approved fire assessment to help fund the fire department, and an estimated $299,000 reduction…