Pinellas commissioners amend tentative FY26 budget and remove Creative Pinellas funding after heated public hearing

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners amended the FY26 tentative budget on Sept. 4 to include a planned $1.7 million drawdown from the county employee health benefits fund, one‑time funding for an enterprise resource planning (ERP) project and the discontinuation of a general‑fund allocation for Creative Pinellas. The amendment passed on a 5‑2 vote.

Why it matters: The move touched off a lengthy public hearing dominated by artists, cultural organizations, educators and Creative Pinellas leaders who said the agency’s grants, exhibitions and programs support tourism, school arts programs and small businesses across the county. Commissioners framed the action as a budget reduction and reallocation intended to provide near‑term tax relief and cover one‑time capital needs.

The vote and context: The budget amendment was offered and approved as part of a slate of changes presented at the board’s budget work sessions and described in a memo circulated to commissioners on Aug. 22. The package reduced several reserve contributions (risk and fleet), adjusted juvenile detention state payments, removed a planned personnel reserve and included the $1.7 million health benefits drawdown and a $156,000 general‑fund reduction tied to Creative Pinellas. “We are proposing these changes now to provide relief and to fund the ERP conversion,” the county administration explained during the meeting.

Public testimony: Dozens of speakers turned out at the evening public hearing. Margaret Murray, CEO of Creative Pinellas, urged the board to allow the organization “at least one more year of funding and further conversations to allow us to implement the changes we have underway,” citing new private revenue, a forthcoming digital magazine and an airport gallery that Creative Pinellas manages. Other speakers — artists, arts directors and school arts supervisors — described Creative Pinellas grants and programs that they said have helped individual artists, built audiences and fed cultural tourism. One teaching artist said Creative Pinellas “helps students build art portfolios, earn recognition and secure scholarships.”

Board discussion and next steps: Commissioners debated fiscal squeeze from the prior storms, the role of tourist development tax (TDT) funding, and how arts promotion should be organized. Several commissioners said they supported the broader concept of funding arts programs but wanted clearer, measurable links to tourism and transparent accounting for how county and TDT dollars are spent. After the amendment vote, commissioners adopted the county’s tentative millage and tentative FY26 budgets and scheduled the second public hearing for Sept. 18, when the board will finalize rates and budgets.

What the amendment did (formal action): The board adopted the administrator’s recommended amendments that include a $1.7 million planned drawdown from the employee health benefit fund, a one‑time appropriation for the county ERP implementation, and discontinuation of the stated general‑fund allocation for Creative Pinellas; the motion passed 5‑2. The board will revisit budget details at the final public hearing on Sept. 18.

Budget context and follow up: Commissioners asked administration to produce clearer line‑by‑line reporting showing Creative Pinellas’ county, TDT and private revenue sources and to bring forward options for how arts and cultural tourism funding could be structured in future budgets. The board also discussed setting a workshop to study municipal service taxing units (MSTUs) and other potential savings avenues before final action later in the month.