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St. Lucie County adopts FY 2025–26 final millage rates and $912 million budget
Summary
The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners adopted final millage rates for fiscal year 2025–26 and approved a $912,006,459 final budget, reducing the aggregate millage slightly from the tentative rate and continuing a multi-year trend of reductions.
The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday adopted final millage rates for fiscal year 2025–26 and approved a final budget of $912,006,459, county staff said at a public hearing.
County staff told the board the proposed aggregate millage rate for FY 2025–26 is 7.9982 mills, down from the tentative aggregate rate of 8.0219 mills approved at the prior hearing and up from the FY 2025–26 aggregate rollback rate of 7.6071 mills. The board approved the rates and the budget by roll call votes.
The budget funds county operations and a range of services supported by property taxes, staff said. The presentation said the FY 2025–26 budget includes multiple funding sources and pays for items including community redevelopment agencies, Medicaid-related costs, judicial agencies, constitutional officers’ budgets and operations of the Board of County Commissioners. Staff reported the total full‑time equivalent positions funded in the budget are 932.38.
County staff and presenters described the changes from the tentative budget discussed two weeks earlier: the total was reduced from $913,091,199 to $912,006,459. Staff said the aggregate millage rate of 7.9982 represents a reduction from the FY 2024–25 aggregate millage rate and continues a sixth consecutive year of aggregate millage rate reductions since FY 2019–20, with a cumulative adjustment of 0.8777 mills since FY 2019–20. Staff provided an illustrative homeowner impact: for a homeowner with a taxable value of $350,000 after exemptions, the difference versus the rate six years ago is about $370.20 annually.
Staff read the individual FY 2025–26 millage rates presented for adoption: General Fund 4.1985 mills (revised from the tentative 4.2222), Fine and Forfeiture 2.7294 mills, Erosion Control Zone E 0.1 mill, Mosquito Control District 0.1352 mill, Unincorporated Service MSTU 0.5 mill, Stormwater MSTU 0.4731 mill, Law Enforcement MSTU 0.8403 mill, Transit MSTU 0.25 mill, and South Hutchinson Island Beach Erosion Control 0.52 mill.
After public comment was opened, no members of the public addressed the board on the budget. Commissioner Leith moved to adopt the millage rates; the board approved that motion by roll call. The board then moved and approved the resolution adopting the FY 2025–26 final budget reflecting the adopted millage rates.
Votes at the hearing were recorded by roll call and were unanimous on both the millage adoption and the budget adoption. County staff initiated the presentation and answered procedural questions during the hearing.
The board members who participated in the roll call were recorded in the transcript as Commissioner Leith (mover of the millage motion), Commissioner Lowery (yes), Commissioner Clasby (yes), Commissioner Leape (yes), Commissioner Lee (yes) and Chair Fowler (yes).
