Melbourne Beach pledges support for renewing Save Our Indian River Lagoon tax

The Melbourne Beach Town Commission on May 21 approved an interlocal agreement renewing the municipality’s participation in Brevard County’s Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SORL) sales‑tax program ahead of a November ballot renewal.

Terry Breeden, program manager for the county Save Our Indian River Lagoon initiative, reviewed the program’s work: voter‑approved half‑cent sales tax collections of roughly $580 million over the first ten‑year period, more than 130 completed projects (and thousands of homeowner septic upgrades), and recent monitoring that shows seagrass gains in 2025.

"We’re starting to see significant progress in the lagoon," Breeden told the commission, citing figures from the St. Johns River Water Management District and project monitoring showing reductions in total nitrogen and improved bloom‑severity indexes at dredging sites.

After brief questions about oversight and the role of the citizen oversight committee, Commissioner Tim Reid moved to approve the interlocal agreement and Mayor Allison Dennington put the motion to a voice vote. The motion carried 5‑0.

Manager Smith said municipalities will be invited to submit project ideas for the 2027 update (June–September), and a citizen oversight committee will review and rank candidate projects before the county board finalizes the plan.

The commission’s vote makes Melbourne Beach eligible to receive SORL funds for qualifying projects if voters renew the sales tax in November.