The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners kicked off work on a proposed $695.8 million budget and approved a new framework allowing neighborhoods to fund their own infrastructure improvements during meetings on July 14 and 15.
Budget workshop sets stage for fall hearings
On July 14, commissioners reviewed the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, presented by County Administrator Christine Hurley, Assistant Administrator Tina Boan and Management and Budget Director John Quinn. The proposed $695.8 million budget is about $23.7 million larger than the 2025-26 spending plan, an increase county officials attributed largely to TDC use of accumulated funds for capital projects, events and advertising.
The countywide millage rate will remain at 2.6929 — again expected to be Florida’s lowest — but the aggregate millage rate would rise 1.5% to 3.4054, covering fire rescue and road patrol salary increases. Officials said holding the aggregate rate flat would require about $2.6 million in budget cuts.
As approved, the owner of an average homesteaded property valued at $665,485 would pay about $50 more in county taxes next year, while a non-homesteaded property valued at $1.1 million would see roughly a $270 increase. (This is in addition to school and municipal taxes.)
About 70% of the county’s annual ad valorem taxes cover first responders and public safety, while 21% funds the operational costs of constitutional officers – the sheriff, clerk of court, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and tax collector.
Public hearings on the tentative and final budgets are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 5:05 p.m. at the Nelson Government Center in Key Largo and Monday, Sept. 14 at 5:05 p.m. at the Harvey Government Center in Key West. Commissioners may lower — but not increase — the proposed millage rates during those hearings.
Locals can fund neighborhood upgrades
Following years of debate over countywide taxpayers’ responsibility for neighborhood-specific projects, commissioners unanimously approved a Residential Neighborhood Improvements Program Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) ordinance.
Under the new program, neighborhoods may use a majority vote of property owners to voluntarily request local infrastructure upgrades – funded by special assessments, not standard tax dollars, from homeowners in the affected areas. Eligible projects include weed gates, sidewalks, drainage improvements and recreational facilities, among others.
Commissioners also approved a Financial Hardship Deferral Program for qualifying homeowners within assessment districts. Homesteaded residents earning no more than 80% of the county median income, with less than $60,000 in cash assets and annual assessments exceeding $1,500, may defer payment until the property is sold or transferred, with the county fronting the assessment dollars in the interim.
Up first: plugged canals
Commissioners immediately put the new neighborhood upgrade program to use later in the meeting, when residents from neighborhoods with “plugged” canals asked to pursue reopening their waterways.
About 20 canals in some areas throughout Monroe County have been left plugged for decades, restricting the use and value of what would otherwise be considered waterfront homes. Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag said many canals were plugged after developers illegally dredged them 10 to 40 feet deep to create fill for building nearby homes.
“The rules changed (with the Clean Water Act) mid-game on these developers,” said County Attorney Bob Shillinger. “Some proceeded without permits, and then they had enforcement actions.”
Residents from the Upper Keys and Big Pine Key described stagnant water, dead fish, seaweed buildup and even crocodiles wandering into yards as they urged commissioners to let neighborhoods pursue locally-funded reopening projects.
“The seaweed accumulation on the outside of the canal is tremendous,” said Jorge Prieto, representing the Upper Keys-based Blue Water Property Owners’ Association. “It’s creating such a health hazard to the neighborhood. The smell, the fish that are being killed there – the marine life is totally gone.”
But county staff repeatedly cautioned that beyond the layers of legal and regulatory paperwork to unwrap historical settlement agreements or administrative orders relating to the canals’ closure, efforts could ultimately fail. Reopening a plugged canal is treated as new dredging under state and county regulations, and no state agency has ever approved the permits needed for such a project, they said.
Acknowledging the effort may prove futile, commissioners defended residents’ right to attempt the reopening – but cautioned that the change involves a multiyear timeline, and frustrations should not be directed at county staff for state or federal roadblocks.
“It’s a really heavy lift, but I don’t know that it’s impossible,” said commissioner Holly Raschein. “I think we have an opportunity to write history if the communities are willing to pay to go the distance.”
“There almost has to be a disclaimer that there’s no money-back guarantee here,” said Mayor Michelle Lincoln. “You all are going to be the Henry Flagler of unplugging canals, and do this fully understanding the risk involved.”
Rather than formally requiring residents to front money for a project that regulators might ultimately deny, County Attorney Bob Shillinger proposed a middle path: letting neighborhood residents individually and voluntarily fund an independent legal and regulatory analysis first, before committing to a more formal assessment process.
In other news:
- Commissioners opened the meeting by honoring assistant county administrator Kevin Wilson for 20 years of service to Monroe County. “While his accomplishments are many, Kevin’s greatest contribution has been his commitment to people,” said senior project manager Suzi Rubio. “He is a mentor, a trusted adviser, and a leader who genuinely values employees and goes out of his way to ensure they feel appreciated and supported.”
- Aiming to reduce travel time and encourage local participation in jury service, the commission approved a redrawing of the county’s jury districts. Under the new divisions, Big Pine Key and No Name Key residents will report to the Marathon courthouse instead of Key West. Residents from Craig Key north through Windley Key will shift from the Marathon courthouse to the Plantation Key Courthouse. The revised boundaries take effect Jan. 1, 2027, once an administrative order is issued by the 16th Judicial Circuit’s chief judge.
- The commission unanimously approved a resolution asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore funding for monitoring of the endangered Key deer, whose population data collection has lapsed since 2019 due to staffing shortages at the National Key Deer Refuge. “The Florida Key deer is an iconic symbol of the Lower Keys and an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage,” said Lincoln in a statement accompanying the resolution.
- A pair of ordinances unanimously approved allow for changes to Monroe County’s comprehensive plan and land development code, raising the maximum height for residential structures from 35 to 42 feet.
