Pinellas commissioners adopt amended FY2027 tentative millage after week-long budget debate

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners adopted amended tentative millage rates and the FY2027 tentative budget following a lengthy public hearing and internal debate over priorities. Chris Rose of the county’s Office of Management and Budget outlined changes that restored funding for Weedon Island and Shell Key ($555,000), capped day parking fees at selected parks, and adjusted Medicaid payment and other projections.

The most contested issue was whether to roll back more of the property tax increment and where to cut if the board did so. Several commissioners argued protecting infrastructure — especially maintenance and replacement of aging box culverts — was a core function of county government. Commissioner Peters urged caution about cuts that could reduce box-culvert inspections and repairs, saying the county had only recently improved ratings for some bridges and culverts after additional investment.

Other commissioners pushed to reduce discretionary social-action funding to move closer to a full rollback. After debate the board agreed to preserve $667,000 in ongoing social-action commitments for the current year but to fund that amount with one-time reserves so programs receive notice and a transition period. With that change the board voted unanimously to set the countywide general fund tentative millage at 4.4989 mills; the aggregate millage was reported as 6.1141 (0.23% below the rollback rate). The board scheduled the final budget hearing for Sept. 24, 2026.