Okay, it's going to go ahead and reconvene the meeting at 501. We've got a series of public hearings before we get to that. We're going to hear from the manager with her budget message.
Ms. Leaverman, you had Mr. Crossby in a afternoon full of budget talks, so you got a good fill in today. And welcome back tonight, so you are recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners.
Hello, Mr. Chairman, you're a lecturer, kind of manager. And we are about to turn over officially to you, the budget book. We gave it to you last week, so you've had a little bit of time to preview that.
We always know that you so much enjoy your commission summer break with a large, very large volume.
I always send us away.
We're all reading the assignments.
Any assignments? Yeah.
With number.
Yes, to read.
So as required by Florida law, I submit to you the balanced fiscal year 27, tent of budget.
It reflects a lateral account commitment to fiscal responsibility, essential public services, and careful stewardship of taxpayer resources.
Each year I give the budget a theme, and this year's theme for the budget is strong foundations uncertain horizon.
It reflects the county's financial strength today and the uncertain environment in which this budget was developed.
This budget continues to build on our strong foundations.
I know you had the act for today, so you got to hear some of that.
The recommended general fund property tax millerate is the rollback rate of 7.2107 mills, which is reduced from 7.6 mills.
This continues a tenure pattern of general fund, millage reductions and remarks, the third rollback rate in that period.
This recommendation reflects the discipline that has helped the county enter fiscal year 27, with sound finances, operational stability, and the flexibility to protect poor services.
For the current law enforcement municipal services taxing unit, the MSTO, I recommend maintaining the property tax millerate of 3.5678 mills.
This recommendation reflects the importance of maintaining a strong public safety system by continuing to support the operational needs of law enforcement.
The fiscal year 27108 budget maintains supports for this and other essential services residents depend on every day.
Public safety and transportation infrastructure remain the county's largest investments, with more than $343 million dedicated to these critical services.
The budget also supports housing, social services, environmental protection, land conservation parks, recreation, economic development, and programs that strengthen our quality of life.
Although property tax revenues represent approximately 23% of the county's total budget, they provide much of the reoccurring revenue that supports the general fund.
The general fund is the primary lawfully available funding source for many of the county's legal obligations and for many of the services expected by our residents.
As a result, changes to recurring general fund revenues cannot be measured simply as a percentage of the overall budget.
They directly affect the county's ability to fund those obligations and maintain those services.
While the county's financial foundation remains strong, the uncertain horizon before us is shaped by the proposed constitutional amendment 3 concerning home state exemptions.
On going legislative discussions regarding broader property tax reform and the enactment of Senate bill for F.
Senate bill for F which became law on June 24th, 2026 establishes the rollback rate as the maximum military that may be adopted by a simple majority vote beginning with this budget cycle.
The rollback rate is the millage rate necessary to generate the same property tax revenue from existing taxable property is the previous year.
Revenue generated by new growth is calculated separately.
Higher millage rates remain authorized under Florida law that require supermajority or unanimous approval depending on the rate proposed.
The recommendations in this budget were developed before Senate bill for F became law and reflect the county's longstanding commitment to responsible financial stewardship,
thoughtful long-term planning and investment in the community our residents value.
Against this backdrop, the fiscal year 27 10-minute budget takes a measure to approach to new general fund obligations.
In many respects it is a continuation budget.
It maintains current service levels limits recurring general fund growth and focuses on positions critical to providing essential services.
The revised projects and contracts continue to move forward, where practical this budget avoids significant new recurring obligations.
While we cannot predict the future, this approach preserves the board's ability to respond thoughtfully to changing conditions.
It reflects a disciplined and measured approach to governing through fiscal uncertainty.
It preserves our longstanding commitment as I said to responsible financial stewardship and maintaining your flexibility.
At the same time, it does continue to invest in the essential services that our residents rely upon and remains aligned with your board and the county's mission, vision, values, and your strategic priorities.
I appreciate your leadership and guidance through this process and look forward to continuing our work together to finalize the fiscal year 27 budget.
And with that, I submit to you the fiscal year 27 budget.
Thank you, Ms. Leaverman. I appreciate that very much.
Commissioner's any comments before we get into our public hearings.
I have one question and that is just the in-tapped first of all, y'all picked up font that is so tiny.
It's like ten point font, but like any glasses.
In the in-tapped three where we have all the performance measures are those the new performance measures that the departments worked with.
I've gone on her team on or these.
Some are in process. Those are the ones we've been working on every time we've had time to have a book for all the performance measures.
I've been working with the team and we'll have those finalized for the final budget.
We go through it.
Okay. So these are these are old.
So yes.
Okay. Thank you.
Yes.
Commissioner Prisdi, it's the font of bigger than the size would be.
I don't know.
I'd rather be bigger as a picture and I'd like to have a look like there's last three.
Yeah, I think last year maybe the year before we got two books.
Yeah.
I think I say this a lot of years really Tommy.
You guys get started in December January and you get to this point and you've done all of this work and then you give it to us and you ask us not to
screw it up and we will certainly attempt not to.
I know there's there's a lot of different priorities that are tugging at this budget and we will certainly spend the break going through it and come back in August and be ready to go through the
An August of meetings as we go into our public hearings in September.
So thank you all for getting us where you've gotten us today.
We really appreciate it.
And today earlier during the audit it was you know said Michelle a lot of times that OMB really.
Just really we feel really fortunate that we have an OMB department that works so closely with our clerk.
And works so closely with each of our department heads who have many, many demands and ask of them as we attempt to serve the public every year with less money, less resources and more visually.
So thank you.
All right, commission. If that's if we'll go move into up on the case.
I just want to say if I sleep with this under my pillow, Tommy will it late.
Awesome.
You awake up without cranking your neck.
Yeah, don't do that.
All right.
Okay.
It's part for my chair fiscal year 2027 fire services initial assessment resolution and authorization to properly notice the public hearing.
All right, the recommended action is to adopt the resolution authorized to notice the public of the September 8th.
Public hearing set the rates for the fire analysis.
Add the law and assessments authorized the provision of the notice to affect proper units on the numbers of property taxes.
And I went through all of these assessments are remaining the same.
So that's great.
So good presentation, Tommy.
We've got a motion.
We've got an introduction.
Yeah.
And we got a second.
Is there any discussion?
Any public discussion on the fire assessment remaining the same?
Seeing none back to the board.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
I'll pose that.
Mr.
Next is the fiscal year 2027 solid waste initial assessment resolution and authorization to properly
nurse the public hearing.
Move staff recommendation.
Okay.
Thank you commissioner Alford.
We've got a second by commissioner Chestnut, which is to adopt the resolution authorized
afternoon's public of September 8th.
Public hearing set the rates for the solid waste.
Non.
Add the law and assessment authorized provision of notice.
Like the property owners of the trim.
No change in that.
Any discussion?
Any public discussion back to the board.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any opposed?
That motion is unanimous.
Okay.
Tommy.
Good presentation on that one.
Next we have the storm water.
On the record of actions to adopt the resolution authorized at the notice the public
on September 8th.
Public hearing set the rates for the storm water non have the law and assessment.
An authorized provision of notice to the effect of property owners on the trim.
Move staff recommendation?
Take it.
Motion second to keep that the same.
It's $60.
No change.
Any discussion?
Anyone from the public would just speak to this one.
Back to the board.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any opposed?
That motion is unanimous.
Mr. Park.
Next item.
Next is a fiscal year.
Twenty-seven sugar put out.
Cedar Ridge.
Special assessment district.
Initial assessment.
Resolution and authorization of property.
Notice the public hearing.
Okay.
Move recommended.
Action.
And I'd like to.
Could you could we hear from the gentleman who's here from that group?
We certainly can't.
I am.
I see him every year and he's in the back.
I'm just a big fan.
We got a motion to keep this the same.
A $10 per unit.
Do I need to come on that one?
Second.
Two seconds.
Yep.
And thank you for being here.
This is great to see you every year.
Yeah.
That he is.
What can I do?
Just send it to yourself for the public and tell us how everything's going in.
Okay.
The name is John Z. Clarke.
I'm the chairperson of that committee.
Things seem to be going pretty well.
We work with your support.
And we generate our own tax fund and none of us runs out.
We're all volunteers.
I think it's wonderful.
Have you been able to share this with any of the other groups or organizations like yours?
Well, we are.
I'm a member of the swag community also.
Okay.
And we fit inside their community and we both work together.
Gotcha.
You need to expand the idea because I think it's brilliant.
You've been able to make it work and I'm like, I say, I've been a big fan of what you've been able to do out there.
Under your leadership because I know that is you.
Yeah.
Well, 27 years.
That's right.
Thank you Mr. Clark.
It's a really a great example of a community taking control of their other own destiny.
All right.
Any further discussion?
Any public discussion back to the board.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any pose that motion passes unanimously.
Okay.
Mr. Clark.
Next item.
27 hospital assessment request to advertise public hearing.
Non-advalorant hospital assessment ordinance.
Okay.
I got a motion from Christian Prosius.
Second from Commissioner Alfred.
This is a request to advertise.
Is there any discussion on this one?
Any public discussion on this one?
Mr. Chair.
Yes, sir.
Not ours.
So this is the pass room.
You don't we talked about today.
That's right.
Pass through to help our hospital.
Locally.
Back to the board.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any pose?
That motion is unanimous.
Thank you for being here.
Sir, today.
And for all you work to get us here today.
Mr. Clark.
Next item.
This is the fiscal year 2027.
Budget public hearing to set proposed millage rates general county government and municipal services taxing unit law enforcement.
Hey, this is keeping at the same at 3.5678 as a manager.
You mentioned a recommended actions to look to public hearing.
Set the proposed millage rate for the general county government.
MSTU.
This is the law enforcement and adopt the resolution.
Second.
Question by Commissioner Prosius.
Second by Commissioner Alfred.
Is there any discussion on the sheriff?
Okay.
Andrew Sheriff.
I.
Tommy, did you have anything you want to add?
Yes.
So a couple of monitors.
One is that when you set the millage.
What that will be the cap of the millage unless you return.
So we try not to have that happen.
The difference between the 7.6 in the rollback rate is is 3.6 million dollars.
The other one would have been 13.
So it's about 10 million dollars less than revenue.
We've had to plan throughout the budget.
And remind the board that based on the parameters we said early on.
We've tried the other line on FTEs.
We have worked well with the Constitution officers.
We've met their needs.
They all seem to be content with what we're doing.
The law enforcement village at the final hearing.
We'll need to be a super majority vote.
If it stays flat with under the new law that the manager is just talking about.
And so I just want to make sure the commission was aware of that as you set your
millages that will be on the trim notice.
And super majority would be 4 out of 5.
And Tommy, the mayor.
I thought it was 18, 19, and 21. I thought this would be the fourth time. Is that correct?
Repeat the question.
As far as the rollback rate in the last ten years, nine years, she had mentioned this would be the third time.
I thought this would actually be the fourth time.
The fourth one was before.
But nine years, it was like the first second.
I thought Todd had mentioned today was 18, 19, 21, maybe I missed that.
All right. So, commissioners, we're trimming the rollback rate, we're trimming MSTU staying the same.
Any discussion? Any public discussion?
There's a big one back to the board, although the favor say aye.
All right.
And it posed that notion is unanimous.
Okay, if there's a year to do it, this is a year.
And I want to, I would just like to kind of, you've heard the message today.
You understand our financial strength.
But I do want to thank the Office of Management budget staff.
I mean, I think others that participated, but they have really put it a large effort to be able to balance the budget with only $3 million of new revenue.
We've talked about the size of our budget.
And I'm saying you're only getting $3 million to handle raises, increases in FRS, increases in health insurance, premiums, et cetera.
They've done a phenomenal job of working that in.
So, I just think that they sometimes say don't get enough credit, and I want to make sure they do.
Yeah, I want to thank Mo.
I want to thank April.
It doesn't always go this way.
You know, welcome back.
Maybe that's why it's going this way.
Yeah.
Okay, we're going to stand in recess until 5.30.
I need to.
You ought to come back because we've got to have public come in at 5.30, right?
Or can I do it now?
Which ever comes sooner?
What does it?
I thought I'd know.
I thought I'd come in at 5.30.
How'd you would say it's 5.30?
I don't know.
Okay, it's 5.30 in a lot for counting.
So, it says the attorney.
And we're going to go ahead.
So, it's Commissioner Hutchinson.
And yeah, it's repeating a Commissioner Hutchinson.
So, we're going to see if there's anyone from the public.
Any wishes to address this board?
Oh.
No public comment?
You would think that we do the military.
We would get some public comment.
But, well, you know, this will be advertised as a tax increase on the police.
It's not the county side.
True.
But, I mean, you know, this is what we just like goes on there.
Yeah.
Okay.
And I think we're going ahead and close the comment at 5.31.
And with that, we'll sand the dirt.