Pinellas County Commission lowers tax rate in tentative FY26 budget

Pinellas County Commission lowers tax rate in tentative FY26 budget

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday approved the tentative Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, reducing the general fund property tax rate for the fourth time in five years.

The $4.9 billion tentative budget includes an operating budget of $3.7 billion to support core services such as public safety, road and bridge maintenance, county parks and community programs. The board dedicated $1.2 billion to capital improvements, including investments in transportation and stormwater infrastructure, expanding parks and recreational facilities, beach nourishment, and maintaining and enhancing County buildings and critical assets.

Despite impacts to property taxes from hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, the Commission found innovative ways to ease the burden on taxpayers. The three storms created $1.5 billion in demolition countywide, resulting in $6.7 million in lost property tax revenue at the tentative millage rate approved by the board. Rising fixed costs and inflation put further pressure on county departments tasked to deliver the high-quality services residents, businesses and visitors expect. Despite that, the commission managed to lower the tentative aggregate millage rate for the general fund, health department fund, special districts and MSTUs and fire protection districts.

The Commission will hold a second public hearing on Sept. 18 to adopt the final tax rates and budget. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The county budget is only about one-third of most residents' property tax bill. The rest is for other agencies and functions that are not under County purview, such as the school system, municipalities and the transit authority.