Gadsden County officials review preliminary FY2025–26 budget; focus on staffing, new buildings and fleet costs

Gadsden County officials met in a budget workshop to review a preliminary Fiscal Year 2025–26 spending plan that staff said will be driven by rising insurance and facility costs, several new county buildings coming online and continuing recruitment challenges for emergency services.

Missus Raynak, the county staff member presenting the budget overview, told the Board of County Commissioners the county is preparing a tentative budget that “is planning to move forward into the October 2025 to September 2026 fiscal year” and that staff had met with department heads to assemble projections and identify decision points for the board.

The presentation laid out tentative totals and major revenue sources. Staff said tentative countywide revenue for 2025–26 is $69,750,000 and that the general fund is expected to generate about $33,000,000 in revenue while tentative general fund expenditures were shown at roughly $34,000,000. Raynak said ad valorem (property) tax revenue is projected at about $21,000,000 based on a current millage of 9 mills; moving the millage to 9.25 would add roughly $600,000 in revenue and lowering it to 8.75 would reduce revenues by about $600,000.

Raynak and other staff noted a number of grant and capital funding sources that will affect next year’s budget, including opioid settlement receipts, community development block grants, a courthouse historic preservation grant (second half), library grants (about $400,000 for internet access and device loan programs), SHIP…