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Hillsborough County budget director outlines $14.1 billion FY27 recommendation and millage-swap
Summary
Management and Budget staff presented a $14.1 billion recommended FY27 budget — a $2.1 billion increase from FY26 — driven largely by a major water project and CDBG-DR activity; the proposal includes a 1.1-mill swap between countywide and unincorporated rates and sets TRIM hearing dates in September.
Kevin Bridal, Management and Budget, presented the county's recommended fiscal year 2027 budget and highlighted the major drivers of the proposed spending package.
"The recommended budget is, $14,100,000,000," Bridal said, noting the increase of about $2.1 billion from the current fiscal year is primarily driven by work on a large water project and Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) activities. He said the operating budget is a little over $5 billion and that the recommended countywide general fund is $1.6 billion.
Bridal described a millage-swap included in the recommendation: a 1.1‑mill decrease in the countywide millage and a 1.1‑mill increase in the unincorporated millage designed to strengthen the unincorporated fund that covers a larger share of service demands, especially public safety. He noted the package reflects recent state legislation that changes adoption thresholds and that county staff will continue to monitor credit-rating impacts and options for balancing revenue and services.
The board set the first public hearing on the FY27 budget for Sept. 10, 2026, and the final public hearing for Sept. 24, 2026, per the TRIM (truth in millage) requirements noted during the presentation. Bridal also confirmed that a previously approved expansion of the county's drowning-prevention program is included in the recommended budget.
No final millage or appropriation was adopted at the session; the hearing served as the reconciliation step ahead of the formal TRIM notices and public hearings in September.
