St. Petersburg mayor recommends $970M budget; council sets tentative millage and public hearing dates

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch on Thursday presented his recommended fiscal year 2026 budget to the St. Petersburg City Council, proposing an operating plan that holds the millage rate flat at 6.4525 mills and sets a total recommended budget of about $970.4 million.

The recommended general fund operating budget is $411.763 million, Welch said, and the proposal preserves the current millage rather than cutting it after three years of reductions. "The proposed budget is a celebration as well," Welch said, adding the budget reflects work across five pillars: housing, environment/infrastructure/resilience, equitable economic development/arts/business, education/youth, and neighborhood health and safety.

The budget highlights Welch stressed include continued housing investments (including tenant eviction assistance, residential rehab and employee housing programs), a new Saint Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) program to accelerate stormwater and water-system upgrades, $2.0 million in capital projects in FY26 with a five-year CIP totaling roughly $1.049 billion, and increased support for arts and cultural grants. Welch said the FY26 CIP includes transfers and new commitments for…