OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted the budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 on Sept. 22, 2205.

The millage rate was also adopted and lowered from 4.2900 to 4.02.

It was the second and final public hearing for the budget and millage rate.

The final countywide budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 was in the amount of $1,119, 440,652 as well as the budgets of the various non-countywide entities in the amount of $534,021,951 for a total final budget of $1,653,462,603.

Project Priorities

The Capital Improvement Plan was adopted as presented. At the previous board meeting on Sept. 16, the county didn’t adopt their CIP. There were some questions about rearranging the projects. There was a tentative capital improvement programs schedule as provided by the county administrator, showing the projects that are near completion or that are on permanent hold, and there was some consideration in regard to reducing those budgets and reassigning them to the consolidated fleet facility as well as some revenue that wasn’t assigned.

It didn’t change the total of the general fund, it reassigned the project budgets, and it would be assigned in both the CIP and in the line-item budget detail, said Audrey Fowler, Marion County clerk of court and comptroller budget director.

Commissioner Michelle Stone asked County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes if the amounts were reassigned in the project budgets would it give the county the funding that it needs to complete the fleet facility, a project that’s a priority, in its entirety.

The estimated construction for that facility is about $24 million.

Staff had recommended adopting the CIP that was presented at the last board meeting, and if the board wasn’t certain what changes they wanted to make, the suggestion was made to adopt it as it was presented on Sept. 16, and it can be brought back before the board in October with more information and clarity, and the funds can be moved then as they already exist in the fund, which is an option as well, said Fowler.

The fleet facility is considered a high priority project. There are a number of projects in the CIP that aren’t moving forward, said Bouyounes.

Vice Chair Carl Zalak, III, expressed some concerns, and wasn’t certain he wanted to spend $24 million, as it was a lot of money, on the fleet facility, and suggested bringing it back and discussing it further. The commissioners seemed to be in agreement that a workshop is needed.

The county traded property to secure the site for the fleet facility. The cost has gone up considerably. However, there are a number of parks projects, especially in Belleview that need to be completed.

“The citizens of this county expect us to make good strong decisions on behalf of our community,” said Stone. “I believe that we’ve had a lot of budget discussions, and there’s a lot of need and there’s a lot of capital need. The parks and recreation most especially. How many times have we’ve had conversations about that. How many times have we received emails about how our parks are failing with what we have today. We don’t have the dollars set aside for it, and we were looking for funding to actually help improve that. This is that opportunity to use those dollars wisely because we’re not going to get the opportunity again.”