R.J. Meyers of Myers Consulting Group told the Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners on Wednesday that the 2026 Florida Legislature adjourned with a roughly $114.4 billion budget and that the city’s $1 million request for the Area 6 road project was fully funded.
“The legislature has one requirement and it is to pass a balanced budget every single year,” Meyers said, and he outlined major statewide allocations including roughly $13.2 billion for transportation, $49.2 billion for health care and $31.9 billion for education. He said the city’s road request comes from the transportation appropriation and that he and local legislators have followed up with the governor’s office.
Meyers highlighted several bills the city tracked during session. He said HB127 would restrict local ‘net‑zero’ energy policies by barring local governments from enacting or spending to implement such policies; HB399 would limit how development permit application fees may be set by requiring fees to reasonably relate to costs; and HB1329 would tighten deadlines for publishing tentative and final budgets and require local governments to run annual “10% budget reduction” exercises and post results online.
Meyers said the governor has until next Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. to sign or veto the budget. “If he doesn’t sign it by 11:59 … it would automatically go into effect,” he said, and added staff will update the commission as the governor acts.
Commissioners asked staff to follow up on specifics that could affect local permitting and revenue, and several commissioners asked the consultant to keep the commission informed of any vetoes or line‑item changes that affect the city’s appropriation. The briefing closed with staff noting they will incorporate relevant legislative changes into upcoming Land Development Regulation updates and policy briefings.
The next procedural step is tracking the governor’s action and updating the commission and public if any enrolled bills or appropriation items change status.