09/19/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2024 17:15
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, bringing additional financial relief to taxpayers by lowering the property tax rate. The $4.3 billion budget reduces the property rate for the third time in four years.
A strong focus on cost containment and efficiency will allow the County to continue providing the same high level of service while reducing the Countywide General Fund millage, the Countywide Emergency Medical Services millage and several other property tax rates under the Board's purview. In total, the Board reduced 10 of 23 millage rates.
The budget includes $3.3 billion for County services and operations and $1 billion for capital improvement projects. The Penny for Pinellas sales tax will continue to fully fund projects promised as part of the original plan.
Key budgetary goals over the next year include:
The county budget is only about one-third of most residents' property tax bill. The rest is for other agencies and functions that are not under County purview, such as the school system, municipalities and the transit authority.