Pasco Gives Tentative Approval to FY2027 Budget and Tax Rates

Tentative approval, with a separate final hearing

Pasco County commissioners voted to approve tentative fiscal year 2027 budget and tax-rate resolutions at their September 9, 2026, budget hearing in Dade City. The final votes on those resolutions were unanimous.

This report covers the September 9 tentative hearing. Staff announced a separate final hearing for September 22; the actions described here should not be read as a report of what happened at that later meeting.

Watch this discussion: 1:22:15 · 1:22:30 · 1:23:01 · 1:23:42

Rescue expenses move into the fire district

Staff explained that the general operating tax rate was being reduced while the Fire Rescue Municipal Services Taxing Unit rate increased by a corresponding amount to absorb rescue expenses previously paid from the general fund.

Commissioners tentatively approved a Fire Rescue district rate of 2.2674 mills. A mill represents $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. The change in funding structure alone does not establish what an individual property owner’s total tax bill will be.

Watch this discussion: 0:03:15 · 1:13:49 · 1:14:11 · 1:14:46

Road rehabilitation continues; no parks district levy

The board tentatively approved the road rehabilitation district rate of 0.4052 mills. Staff said the rate was expected to generate approximately $23.1 million for road work.

Commissioners also approved a zero rate for the Parks Municipal Services Taxing Unit. That means this particular district levy was not being used to collect property tax under the tentative plan; it does not mean the county eliminated its parks budget.

Watch this discussion: 1:15:20 · 1:16:09 · 1:16:46

Operating priorities and reserves

Staff described an overall tentative budget increase of 6.5% compared with the fiscal year 2026 adopted budget, with operating spending increasing 2.8%. Public safety, jail expansion operating needs, retirement costs and an average 3% wage increase were among the priorities discussed.

The presentation also covered library funding, including the recently opened Wesley Chapel Library and the Hudson library remodeling project, as well as preventive maintenance for county facilities.

Officials explained that reserve balances serve different purposes. Utility, capital and special-revenue reserves can be tied to future projects, emergencies or restricted uses, so those balances should not all be treated as money available for general spending.

Watch this discussion: 0:04:20 · 0:04:37 · 0:04:49 · 0:05:12 · 0:05:33 · 0:06:06 · 0:06:48 · 0:08:01 · 0:08:28

Some spending held pending further review

The county administrator described a plan to hold funding for certain budgeted items in their respective reserves while awaiting the outcome of the property tax amendment discussed at the hearing. Staff outlined different next steps depending on that outcome, including a later board discussion if the measure passed.

The hearing’s final resolutions approved the tentative budget and millage rates. Staff said any changes before the separate final hearing would be detailed in an agenda memorandum.

Source note: the available automatic captions used for this report begin at 2 minutes, 34 seconds. The opening portion is not summarized. The cover photo is a file image from the county’s July 7 workshop, not a photograph of the September hearing.

Watch this discussion: 0:09:38 · 0:09:56 · 1:23:01 · 1:23:21

Source: 9.9.26 Pasco Board of County Commissioners Budget Hearing 1 hour, 24 minutes, Pasco County Government. This AI-assisted summary is based on the recording’s automatic captions, which can contain transcription errors. It is not official meeting minutes. Timestamp links let readers check the original discussion.