BRADENTON — During a final public budget adoption hearing held on Monday evening, the Manatee County Commission solidified the adoption of a $3.577 billion gross budget for fiscal year 2026-2027. The budget approval includes a modest millage rate reduction of 0.05.
The public hearing was held on September 22 at 5:30 p.m., in the BOCC Chambers of the downtown county administration building. Manatee County CFO Shelia McLean provided the presentation.
Each of the associated budget resolutions was approved and adopted with a 6-1 vote of the commission, with District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann voting “nay” to each, including on the approval of the five-year CIP.
“The FY26 adopted budget establishes a balanced financial plan that funds all county services, maintains reserves, and supports capital investments,” said CFO McLean.
The county’s total net budget for FY 2026 is $1.368 billion, representing an overall increase of 3% compared to fiscal year 2025.
Of the county's total $1.368 billion net budget, the majority of funds are sourced by property taxes and service charges, at 33.87% and 33.28% respectively.
Use categories that account for the majority of the total net budget’s investments and spending: public safety, physical environment (utilities, natural resources, solid waste, and stormwater), capital improvement, and general government (department spending).
Commissioners also approved a $2.26 billion Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2026-2030.
The CIP investment strategy includes 792 total projects, including 71 new projects. The CIP investment for FY26 represents 37% of the total adopted net budget.
The FY 26-30 CIP's largest funding categories are transportation and public safety, accounting for $427.93 million and $54.20 million, or 18.9% and 2.4%, respectively.
The largest funding source for the FY 26-30 CIP is Infrastructure Sales Tax revenues, at 40%. Impact fee funds account for 32.6% of the CIP’s funding source, with debt proceeds funding 15.1%.
The millage rate approved by commissioners on Monday sets the aggregate millage at 6.5033 for the next fiscal year. The approved rate reduction of 0.05 is equivalent to a $3.6 million decrease in general fund revenues.
The county’s reserve balance totals $992 million, with roughly $871 million of the total reserves restricted to assigned or otherwise designated spending purposes.
As the lone commissioner to vote against approval of the tentative budget, millage, and CIP, Commissioner McCann did not provide any comments during Monday’s hearing in explanation of his vote.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, McCann told TBT that his dissenting votes were consistent with his comments during the first budget hearing on September 10.
In summary, said McCann, the adopted budget “doesn’t serve District 5 constituents,” and he preferred the commission to approve a “more significant millage rate reduction and overall budget cut.”
“There are way too many administrative positions in our organization,” he said, explaining his position. “I attempted to propose a hiring freeze for this very reason weeks ago—reserves for two months' salaries total $17 million.”
McCann said that by his assessment, there remains a “bloated budget surplus” and, for him, the “math simply doesn’t add up.”
Following Monday’s budget approval, Commissioner Tal Siddique remarked positively on his experience as a new commissioner going through the budget process.
“I appreciated the insights from some of our seasoned commissioners, and of course, hearing from some of my fellow new commissioners as well,” said Siddique, who was elected in 2024.
“It’s been a very lively debate, I’ve enjoyed it, though I haven’t always been on the same side of it, but I’m proud of the budget that we put together,” he continued. “I do think that we’re going to solve some of the problems that our county residents have been asking us to solve.”
Before thanking the board for working well together, Siddique offered that the most important factor in the process was the commission’s ability to compromise.
Click the video below to replay CFO Shelia McLean’s final budget presentation, board votes, and commissioners’ closing comments.
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sandy
I agree with Commissioner McCann on the fact that there are too many administrative positions in the county.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 Report this