Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously set the proposed millage rates for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, advancing a $14.14 billion spending plan toward final hearings in September.
The Truth in Millage (TRIM) action preserves the County Administrator’s recommended rates as the maximum the board may adopt through the current budget process. But Commissioners said there is still room to reduce them before tentative and final adoption later this year.
“We’re setting a ceiling, but not the floor,” County Commissioner Chris Boles said. “We can’t go any higher.”
The County Administrator’s recommended budget is about $2.1 billion larger than the current spending plan. However, Hillsborough County Management and Budget Director Kevin Brickey attributed much of that increase to the One Water infrastructure program and federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding.
The total includes a $5 billion operating budget, with the balance spread across capital projects, reserves, transfers, debt, grants and restricted and enterprise funds.
The proposed countywide millage includes 5.3608 mills for the General Revenue Fund and 0.0604 mills for debt tied to environmentally sensitive lands, bringing the total countywide rate to 5.4212 mills.
Commissioners also set a 4.7163-mill rate for the General Purpose Municipal Services Taxing Unit, which supports services in unincorporated Hillsborough, and a 0.5583-mill rate for the Library Services District.
The proposed aggregate millage rate is 0.4% above the aggregate rolled-back rate, according to county agenda materials.
Brickey said the recommendation continues Hillsborough’s millage swap for a third year to increase the financial stability of the unincorporated fund, which receives a larger share of service demands, such as public safety.
The Fiscal Year 2027 proposal lowers the countywide rate by 0.1 mills and raises the unincorporated rate by the same amount. The Commission approved a 0.1-mill swap in Fiscal Year 2025 and a 0.1418-mill swap in Fiscal Year 2026.
“That millage swap is a tax cut in the three cities, and a net zero in the unincorporated area,” Brickey said.
The proposed unincorporated General Fund totals $924 million, with nearly 68% directed toward public safety. The countywide General Fund totals roughly $1.63 billion, with about 56% going to constitutional officers and outside agencies.
The Sheriff’s Office, Fire Rescue and other elected officials and agencies together account for about $1.14 billion, or roughly 80% of projected General Fund property tax revenue.
Wednesday’s vote was also governed by the new SB 4F, which revised the voting thresholds local governments must meet when setting millage rates. The Commission approved the rates 7-0.
Officials said the budget outlook is complicated by a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would expand the homestead exemption and significantly reduce local property tax collections if approved. County estimates show the proposal would reduce General Funds revenue by about $233 million in Fiscal Year 2028 and about $343 million in Fiscal Year 2029.
Commissioners also used the reconciliation hearing to address spending requests outside the County Administrator’s original recommendation.
The agenda packet listed over $3 million in Commissioner-backed nonprofit, infrastructure and community requests, leaving about $830,000 of the $4.2 million available through the flagging process unallocated before Wednesday’s adjustments. Commissioners approved the remaining flag items unanimously.
One adjustment moved nearly $126,000 for The Spring of Tampa Bay out of Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen’s individual allocation and into the County Administrator’s budget. Cohen argued that the domestic violence shelter performs a core county function and should not depend on an individual Commissioner’s discretionary funding. The Commission approved the change unanimously.
Commissioners also voted 4-3 to delay a $678,000 request from Commissioner Gwen Myers for Feeding Tampa Bay school food pantries after Commissioner Joshua Wostal raised concerns about approving projects beyond the standard amount available to each Commissioner.
A separate $500,000 tourist development tax allocation for Film Tampa Bay was approved unanimously.
The Commission will consider the tentative budget and millage rates Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. The final budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 24.
