Manatee County reviews FY27 recommended budgets for constitutional officers and judicial programs

Manatee County commissioners on June 9 reviewed recommended FY27 budgets for constitutional officers and related judicial programs, hearing a line-by-line presentation from county staff and questions from commissioners about capital versus operating costs.

Budget presenter (identified in the transcript as "Miss Campus") told the commission the composite recommended FY27 budget for constitutional officers and traditional judicial programs is $49.8 million, with combined support costs of $1.2 million. "The composite combine constitutional officers in traditional programs budget for FY27 is 49.8 million," the presenter stated.

The presentation broke down individual offices. The Clerk of Court's recommended FY27 budget was listed at $11.6 million; the clerk requested three new positions, with salaries and compensation described in the transcript as roughly $244,000 and health-insurance costs of about $103,000, and staff said final reconciliation will wait for official state numbers expected at the end of June. The Supervisor of Elections budget was presented as $3.7 million, "a little bit under $200,000 less than last year," and the Tax Collector's recommended budget was presented as $21.3 million, roughly a 4% increase. The presenter referenced Florida statute in explaining the tax-collector calculation.

The property appraiser's budget was presented as flat at recommendation pending post–July 1 reconciliations (the presenter noted an increase of about $300,000 that will be shown at reconciliation). Court administration's recommended budget showed a net decrease (about $68,000 overall in the presenter’s figures) driven by lower operating expenditures despite small personnel increases tied to health-insurance costs; judicial programs overall were reported as down slightly overall.

Commissioners raised questions about how the budget portrays the county's total costs for courts and related services. One commissioner argued that the operating budgets shown do not capture the full "all-in" cost to the county for courts and the sheriff because capital and facility maintenance expenses — "roofs and chillers and chasing termites" — are not reflected in the operating lines. The commissioner asked whether the presentation could include a clearer side-by-side view of operating, capital and other county-funded program costs so the public sees the full financial exposure. The presenter confirmed those county-funded items are tracked separately and said certain costs are captured as other-funded programs rather than in the operating lines.

On program-level changes, the presenter said Guardian ad Litem's recommended budget is $294,000, a decrease of about $17,000; a commissioner noted the program has historically reported being underfunded. The presenter explained several factors contributing to year-to-year decreases in the judicial programs line items, including vacancies being filled at lower rates, changes in internal service charges and the transfer of some replacement costs (for example, computer replacements) to the departments themselves.

The public comment period opened and, with no speakers present, the chair closed public comment. Commissioners concluded by discussing the scheduling of constitutional-officer presentations across multiple days; several said the deeper updates (for example, on drug court operations and staffing) were valuable to the public and commissioners even if they lengthened the work-session schedule.

No motions or formal votes were taken on the items presented during the session; staff indicated some budgets (including the sheriff's) will be revisited at later work sessions for reconciliation and adjustment.