Alachua County reviews proposed FY26 budget; board to consider debt-policy change and rollback impact

Alachua County budget staff on Thursday reviewed the county manager's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, outlining a $944,000,000 plan, proposed changes to debt policy and options if the board chooses the rollback tax rate.

The presentation, led by Tommy Crosby, assistant county manager for budget and fiscal services, gave commissioners an overview of projected revenues and reserves, staffing requests, one-time transfers and upcoming dates for budget hearings. Crosby told the board staff will return with any requested adjustments and a formal proposed millage to adopt in September.

Crosby said the FY26 countywide budget totals $944,000,000, an increase of about $81,000,000 over FY25, and that much of the increase reflects new debt the county is planning to issue for an animal services building and to finish the courthouse. He said transfers between funds and timing of capital projects also inflate the headline number because transfers can be double-counted when presented at a summary level.

Why it matters: county leaders said maintaining reserves and meeting policy targets is central to preserving the county's credit capacity while advancing capital projects. Commissioners asked how a rollback decision would affect services and asked staff for a line-by-line list of discretionary items that would be cut if the board chose the rollback rate.

Key details from the presentation

- Reserves and fund-balance policy: Crosby summarized several reserve rules cited in the budget materials: a general-fund ending fund balance target of 10% of operating revenues; a 5% target for the municipal service benefit unit (MSBU) and the gas-tax fund; and a general reserve floor of not less than 5% of operating revenue and a…