Citrus County commissioners split over millage rollback as budget workshop seeks direction

At a July 16 public budget workshop, Citrus County commissioners questioned whether to keep a previously directed rollback of the county's millage or to hold the current rate as staff prepares a preliminary budget for the July 22 hearing.

Budget director Tammy Wilson told the board the county's tax base and certified values produce different revenue outcomes depending on the millage chosen: a reduced, board-directed millage would lower the millage to about 6.5473 and shrink reserves to an estimated 8.2 percent of the general fund (about 30 days of operating costs), while holding the current millage (6.9898) would leave reserves near 11.8 percent (about 43 days). Wilson also flagged recent state measures (referred to in the session as SB 4F and House Bill 7031) that change vote thresholds for establishing millage for certain units.

Why it matters: commissioners must set the preliminary millage at the July 22 hearing so it appears on TRIM notices; staff said they need clear instruction now to turn the figures into a formal proposed budget. Commissioners repeatedly balanced competing priorities: returning true-up dollars to taxpayers, maintaining a cushion for emergencies and infrastructure, and funding constitutional officers.

Arguments for holding the current millage centered on preserving reserve levels and avoiding premature reductions amid pending state policy changes. "We do not know what's happening in November and this is a very bad time to reduce the millage," a commissioner said, warning that pending law changes could remove local flexibility and complicate future budgets. That speaker also cited the county's road backlog, saying, "We have $750,000,000 back road backlog," to underscore infrastructure risk.

Those favoring the rollback emphasized the board's earlier direction to return true-up dollars to taxpayers and asked administration to present the budget that implements the board's prior decision. During the workshop several commissioners referenced the prior meeting's vote; the board discussed whether that prior vote had been unanimous but multiple commissioners clarified to the group that the earlier decision was a 3-2 vote to return true-up dollars.

Staff noted the county has already identified approximately $11.6 million in reductions from departments and asked the board to tell staff whether to proceed building the preliminary budget on the existing board-directed millage or to use the current millage as the working assumption. Several commissioners said they would vote at the July 22 preliminary hearing to hold the millage at the current rate; others insisted staff should continue to present the reductions and options, and return a line-by-line proposed budget for further decisions.

What happens next: staff will assemble the detailed preliminary budget and the TRIM notices for the July 22 hearing. The board has scheduled tentative hearings in September (tentative hearing Sept. 10; final hearing Sept. 21) where members can revisit cuts and the adopted millage cannot exceed the rate advertised at the preliminary hearing unless a revised TRIM is mailed.

The workshop closed without a formal vote on a new millage; staff left with direction to prepare materials for the July 22 preliminary budget hearing.