St. Johns County reviews $775 million in CIP requests and flags risk from proposed property-tax limits
May 30, 2026 | St. Johns County , Florida
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The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners conducted the final day of its FY27 budget sessions, finishing a review of remaining capital-improvement projects (CIPs) and outlining potential revenue impacts if statewide property-tax reform is adopted.
Moderator said the CIP review included removing duplicate submissions and resulted in "$775,000,000 currently in '27 requested budget" for CIP requests. County staff also summarized the countywide budget request as just over $1,000,000,000 across 85 funds and approximately 186 cost centers, composed of more than 21,000 individual line requests.
Why it matters: Moderator warned that upcoming state action could sharply reduce the county's flexibility. He said the Florida Association of Counties estimates a Year‑1 reduction for St. Johns County “of more than $60,000,000” and cumulative recurring reductions of about $113,000,000 under the version of House Bill 1329 discussed during the session. Commissioners and staff agreed to hold a director-level briefing to evaluate operational implications and potential mitigation strategies.
Staff outlined that CIPs under discussion include parking evaluations near the new public services center, Fire/EMS station design timelines, a phased medical examiner facility, and several sheriff-related facility projects. Several projects currently lack identified funding and were discussed for future planning rather than immediate construction.
The budget calendar remains: constitutional officer submissions and valuation estimates in June, a recommended budget and tentative millage presentation in July, and two public hearings in September followed by October adoption. Moderator emphasized these department submissions are requests only and are not final board decisions.
The board will continue fund-health reviews in the coming days and consider how any enacted state changes would affect millage and alternative revenue options.
Moderator said the CIP review included removing duplicate submissions and resulted in "$775,000,000 currently in '27 requested budget" for CIP requests. County staff also summarized the countywide budget request as just over $1,000,000,000 across 85 funds and approximately 186 cost centers, composed of more than 21,000 individual line requests.
Why it matters: Moderator warned that upcoming state action could sharply reduce the county's flexibility. He said the Florida Association of Counties estimates a Year‑1 reduction for St. Johns County “of more than $60,000,000” and cumulative recurring reductions of about $113,000,000 under the version of House Bill 1329 discussed during the session. Commissioners and staff agreed to hold a director-level briefing to evaluate operational implications and potential mitigation strategies.
Staff outlined that CIPs under discussion include parking evaluations near the new public services center, Fire/EMS station design timelines, a phased medical examiner facility, and several sheriff-related facility projects. Several projects currently lack identified funding and were discussed for future planning rather than immediate construction.
The budget calendar remains: constitutional officer submissions and valuation estimates in June, a recommended budget and tentative millage presentation in July, and two public hearings in September followed by October adoption. Moderator emphasized these department submissions are requests only and are not final board decisions.
The board will continue fund-health reviews in the coming days and consider how any enacted state changes would affect millage and alternative revenue options.
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