- December 4, 2025
Flagler County has adopted a $335 million budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
The millage rate for the 2026 fiscal year is 7.9945, which will generate an 8% increase in ad valorem tax revenue from the 2025 fiscal year. The budget’s general fund – which includes funding for the county’s constitutional officers and is funded in part by ad valorem tax revenue – is $202 million dollars.
The Flagler County Commission adopted the final budget and millage rate at the Sept. 23 special meeting. To the few Flagler County residents who showed up and asked that the county cut the budget to get to the roll back rate, Commission Chair Andy Dance reminded them that the county has statutory requirements to finalize the budget by Oct. 1.
“The reason you won’t see much movement today, is because there’s no time left,” Dance said.
The budget process is a year-long process, he said, but he hopes to see the residents participating earlier on in the process for the budget.
This was Commissioners Kim Carney and Pam Richardson’s first terms on the board and working on the budget. Despite being new to the process, Carney said the county did challenge some expenditures, including reducing the cost of living increase from 4% to 2%.
“Yes, I do believe there's some fluff in there. Yes, I will be looking for it in 2027,” Carney said. “There's only so much time you can give to a $335 million budget, being a lay person and having to persuade three or two other people that the expenditure is or is not important.”
Carney did also agree that some of the county’s employees' salaries may need adjustment, but that is an “ongoing, year-long process.” Richardson also pointed out that the county did not institute any merit pay this year, keeping salaries from going higher.
County Administration Heidi Petito said the pay classification plan was the same as that was used for the 2025 fiscal year budget, except to eliminate one paygrade classification that was no longer being utilized and what pay changes were negotiated by the union.
Carney said if there are services the public feels should be cut back, they should speak out now, so the commission can set priorities and goals for the next budget.
“The last possible day in September to get this to the state in time is not the time to look at our budget,” she said. “We started months and months and months ago.”
