BRADENTON — On Tuesday evening, the Manatee County Commission held its first of two public budget hearings where a tentative budget and millage rate for fiscal year 2024 was approved. The budget includes the board’s approval of a $1.22 billion net spending budget and no adjustment to the 6.2326 millage rate from last fiscal year.
The tentative annual gross budget reached nearly $2.9 billion for FY24, an increase of roughly $565 million over the last fiscal year adopted budget. The spending budget (net) climbed $148 million as compared to last fiscal year.
The budget includes a $2.19 billion five-year capital improvement plan for FY24-28, with an FY24 investment of $385.66 million. The total five-year CIP—inclusive of existing and future projects—is $3.731 billion. The most recent five-year plan includes 67 total new projects.
Budget spending, as presented during Tuesday’s public hearing by Manatee County’s CFO Shelia McLean, includes $313.4 million toward capital outlay (asset expenditures), $263.6 million for the physical environment, $239 million in public safety, $122.5 million in general government spending, $79.4 million in public transportation, $36.8 million in human services and $32 million in culture and recreation.
Property taxes remain a flush funding source in the county’s tentative budget in FY24, with roughly one-third, or 33.3 percent of funding, derived from property taxes.
The county-wide millage rate of 6.2326 remains unchanged over the last fiscal year, with an unincorporated rate of 0.6109 also unchanged. The Palm Aire MSTU millage rate also remains unchanged at 0.2546. Property tax revenues are recognized at $428 million for FY24, which is 21 percent more than last year.
The tentative budget also includes funding for 58 new positions and a three percent employee salary compensation increase, a two percent Pay for Performance increase, and a one percent employee/employer health insurance increase.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s budget funding will see a 14 percent increase in FY24, for a total Sheriff’s budget of $195.5 million.
Manatee County also approves budgets for other constitutional offices and county entities. The tentative budget for the Manatee County Port Authority for FY24 is $29.56 million gross and $25.99 million net. The tentative FY24 Housing Finance Authority budget is $1.045 million, and the Manatee County Law Library District tentative budget is $217,175.
The final public budget hearing for the FY24 budget adoption is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. and will be held in BOCC chambers in the downtown administration building.
To preview the upcoming second public budget hearing agenda, including all attachments and slideshow presentation, click here. To replay the first budget hearing video, click here.
