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County reviews proposed 2026–27 levies and budget options ahead of March 5 filing
Summary
County finance staff presented proposed levy rates and fund balances for 2026–27, noting a small overall countywide increase (about $0.07 per $1,000); board members discussed transfers to general supplemental and possible shared-services to reduce costs before the March 5 state filing deadline.
Osceola County officials reviewed proposed levy rates and budget estimates for fiscal year 2026–27 and discussed options to shift fund transfers ahead of the state filing deadline.
A county finance presenter said the current maximum levy is shown as 3.43137 and outlined proposed amounts, including a proposed general-basic levy amount of $120,970 and a debt-service levy equal to $0.55 per $1,000 of valuation. The presenter said real-basic is at 2.77294 in the proposal and that the draft results in roughly a $0.07 per $1,000 countywide increase compared with keeping tax dollars the same.
"If there's no changes to it, we can go through it like general basic—we're at our max that we can levy is at 3.43137," the presenter said, adding that some levies cannot be increased after the public-notice publication and that the county must file figures with the state by March 5.
Board members discussed potentially reducing the general supplemental levy and increasing transfers, and explored shared-service arrangements—such as sharing an EMA/EMS director with nearby counties—to control costs and possibly qualify the shared position for health insurance. One member cautioned that shared arrangements would require intergovernmental agreements and an evaluation of budget impacts before altering the draft levy.
The board did not adopt final levy rates at the meeting; staff said they will publish the proposed figures and set a public hearing date at the next meeting as required by state timelines.
