Monroe County commissioners finalized a $672.2 million spending plan during a final budget hearing on Sept. 10 in Key Largo.
Commissioner Holly Raschein’s proposal to reduce the property tax rate to 2.6929, or $269 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value, was supported by her colleagues. The move reduced property tax revenue and county spending by roughly $2 million.
The budget includes the Board of County Commissioners; the constitutional officers, which include the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and clerk of court; and other appropriations for the Tourist Development Council, capital projects and reserves. Each entity has its own independent budget within the total budget.
Overall, the budget is $43.6 million less than last year’s approved $714 million spending plan. A total of 45 full-time positions were eliminated. County officials also discontinued the Freebee rideshare service in the Lower Keys while axing the expansion in the Upper Keys. There were reductions in cost-of-living pay raises for employees who work for constitutional officers, as well as consolidations and mergers within county departments.
And 50%, or $1.1 million, was cut from funding for human services nonprofits. Each year, the county’s Human Services Advisory Board doles out funding to essential nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations in the Keys.
Cuts by county officials were made amid forecasts of decreases in sales and bed taxes and state-shared revenues. In addition, the state’s Department of Government Efficiency is zeroing in on government spending across the Sunshine State. Specifically, the state’s DOGE is targeting unnecessary use of taxpayer funds to support nongovernmental organizations.
“Monroe County continues to deliver essential services with one of the lowest tax rates in Florida while meeting the extraordinary demands of serving our 84,000 residents, and a functional population, which is nearly double that size, that includes our 4 million visitors a year,” said County Administrator Christine Hurley. “This budget reflects efficiency cuts, strengthened reserves, and our unwavering commitment to public safety and core responsibilities that keep our island communities safe and accessible.”
The budget maintains the same countywide millage rate as last year while generating $2 million in additional emergency reserves, in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. This will increase reserves to $12 million, which hasn’t been increased since its original implementation in 2008.
The approved budget provides pay raises for EMS and law enforcement personnel to attract and retain a qualified workforce. Funds are also included for a new fire station on Sugarloaf Key and various maintenance and improvement projects at the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island. More information is at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/budget.
