[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6550022,"mediaKeyId","5418456-a1d2cd4faf0fa3c2e0451900711af2d1","parentId",5418456,"title","Sheriff resubmits certified budget; commissioners agree to roll law-enforcement MSTU millage back to prior-year level","audioSeconds",525,"startMs",1409230,"endMs",1935140,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418456-a1d2cd4faf0fa3c2e0451900711af2d1&start=1409&end=1935","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418456-a1d2cd4faf0fa3c2e0451900711af2d1/thumbnail_1409230.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6550022/Marion-County/Florida/Sheriff-resubmits-certified-budget-commissioners-agree-to-roll-law-enforcement-MSTU-millage-back-to-prior-year-level","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550022-eab2dd3cafe93d8997859888d67a5625/orig.mp4?Expires=1771089177&Signature=TxK-k3zuE6oDTxdh2dgW2gOeJcAjI~-zZNMoaZ6OrgZ8nzH0xr4~rZVgfBNbXSv6ejaA5WAldPDBSpZamljmvY9L5gnlAm5DLxXjOgIdzP6jjEqE~viqzs5BJrKQk6LC-lW~GR6KFjHdUgZMHceQBs9e92-cVnhDYcG4b6u3gTCoUg5kqzU002gXa1o~YZyVpo3jnmlzEzPjW1N0c3d7-SuNTSLcD38qkiSC3~BJFGX4kQcfert3mIhx-c8WlwITmsH8KGqiK0vmQoEnS1euBy5WKXManCSP2-OpVjTGdwPWCHdPJzmYArndEkqUXcTyHn4dg9i8ihe-XPDXYsHzVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Marion County","date","2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","article","Audrey Fowler, Marion County budget director, told the board July 16 that the sheriff resubmitted a certified budget that reduced the sheriff’s earlier request and that staff had entered the revised numbers into the county system.

Fowler said the sheriff’s revised request and additional contract revenue the sheriff identified (contracts with the school board, private schools and the city of Dunnellon) meant the county could restore the MSTU for law enforcement from the proposed 4.07 mills back to the prior-year level of 3.72 mills. \"With the board's consent, I can actually take this budget all the way down to the prior year's millage of 3.72 today, if that is your direction,\" Fowler said.

Why it matters: The law-enforcement MSTU funds patrol and public-safety allocations paid for within many unincorporated areas. Returning that MSTU to the prior-year rate reduces the tax increase residents would otherwise face and shifts budget pressure elsewhere (reserves or other revenue sources).

Details

- Fowler said the sheriff provided additional revenue through contracts with school boards, private schools and Dunnellon that meaningfully offset the sheriff's requested increases and helped make the roll-back feasible.

- The sheriff’s office also resubmitted a certified jail and emergency management budget; staff entered those certified numbers into the budget system before the workshop.

Board direction and next steps

Commissioner Bridal thanked the sheriff and budget staff for the cooperation and urged staff to implement the change in workshop materials. Vice Chairman Zalick asked whether the contract revenue fully offset administrative costs; Fowler said that question should be referred to the sheriff’s office when the sheriff presents his budget details.

Ending

The board indicated consent to the change and directed staff to reflect the MSTU rollback to 3.72 mills in the workshop documents; staff will present the final reconciled numbers before adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Marion County - Board of County Commissioners Workshop on 2025-07-16 9:00 AM - Budget Workshop - Day 1 - Jul 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After the sheriff submitted a revised certified budget, county budget staff said they could lower the proposed law-enforcement MSTU millage back to the prior year's 3.72 mills; commissioners directed staff to implement that change in the workshop materials.","taxTitle","Marion County, Florida","taxId",4897,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6550027,"Marion County budget workshop: staff present revised revenue picture; commissioners direct lower millage and contingency moves",1965,933610,2898890,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418456-a1d2cd4faf0fa3c2e0451900711af2d1&start=933&end=2898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418456-a1d2cd4faf0fa3c2e0451900711af2d1/thumbnail_933610.jpg","/articles/6550027/Marion-County/Florida/Marion-County-budget-workshop-staff-present-revised-revenue-picture-commissioners-direct-lower-millage-and-contingency-moves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550027-99c03b0e3416bb9a964455f9b9069567/orig.mp4?Expires=1771089177&Signature=MOs27VHqp-Z4NsLxXNS3kA9-5UTZXqFMAq-SmDTg-jD5cWTO-OqLOp-HE7ZBU2Ih-1wbwD69GxibfIWYZNH08mzmKY1w9jrsAO~jy~cVP4DxJmvkVN0T4491hP6X43qpel5QRak8-H8JWDaR~iOyZfAI~qQrqfsdJ0CnovrnHYLfLEwvkjF-YKRxH-Vy~d237vmpZBQ8Z3oAyE8Qnt1ZtXljcX2hUq88zHImsFrj8OotXs~8ycsRRvZjG6ILPst65ZUwZFKDrDurR-lvjdzJnhHqZm415IAayMR3CI6F0Sv6zkRm12bsLZZ0WWj7rtIlnws3vHGZes06AgAq6kCq2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Audrey Fowler, the county budget director, told the Marion County Board of County Commissioners on July 16 that certified taxable values improved since the proposed budget and that staff had revised several revenue and millage calculations.

Fowler said certified taxable values have increased substantially — a roughly $4 billion jump in the countywide taxable base as staff prepared the revised numbers — and that some state-published revenue estimates (notably state-shared revenue and the half-cent sales tax) were less negative than worst-case forecasts. She also flagged several open issues, including an unresolved Department of Juvenile Justice billing estimate that she said staff had proxied at about $600,000 pending state confirmation.

Why it matters: The new numbers gave the board room to reduce proposed tax rates without eliminating proposed programs. Fowler recommended several specific adjustments to the tentative millage schedule and to internal reserves; commissioners asked staff to implement most of those moves and return with documentation on the outstanding items.

Most important details

- Fowler told the board she could reduce the countywide general-fund millage from the proposed 3.47 down toward 3.37 and that, overall, the revised calculations left roughly $3.6 million of recurring general-fund revenue “in excess of what we need.”

- On the law-enforcement MSTU, Fowler said the sheriff’s office resubmitted a revised, certified budget and that, with that change in hand, she “can actually take this budget all the way down to the prior year's millage of 3.72 today, if that is your direction.” The board indicated it supported returning that MSTU to the prior year rate.

- Fowler recommended reducing the fine-and-forfeiture fund millage to 0.87 and holding further reductions until the county receives a final DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice) billing statement; she characterized the $600,000 DJJ proxy as the principal uncertainty in that fund.

- Staff noted a one-time increase in county commission capital improvements funded by fund balance carryforward and emphasized that some sheriff-requested increases (as resubmitted) are reflected as revised certified budgets rather than as new requests; staff entered those certified sheriff numbers into the system before the workshop.

Discussion and follow-up

Commissioners pressed staff on details before formal adoption. Commissioner Bridal thanked the sheriff and staff for cooperation that allowed the MSTU rollbacks and said she wanted the revised millage numbers reflected in the workshop materials. Commissioner Zalick asked whether revenue offsets the sheriff reported (contracts with school boards, private schools and the city of Dunnellon) fully cover the additional patrol costs; Fowler said the sheriff would need to confirm whether contract revenue covers the full administrative and service cost.

Fowler and County Administrator Moneer (county administrator) told the board staff would implement the agreed millage adjustments in the workshop documents and return with answers on the DJJ billing, the exact allocations of contract revenue the sheriff referenced, and a clean reconciliation of the proposed-to-revised taxable-value calculations prior to final adoption.

Ending

Board members described the revised figures as “good news” that made the budget workshop start in a better position than the original proposal. Commissioners asked staff to show the revised millage and to follow up on the DJJ invoice and any other outstanding documentation before the budget is adopted.","Budget staff reported stronger taxable-value growth and new revenue estimates on July 16, 2025, prompting commissioners to direct several millage rollbacks and hold some funds in contingency while staff follows up on open items such as a juvenile-justice billing estimate.","actionData","errors"]

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Sheriff resubmits certified budget; commissioners agree to roll law-enforcement MSTU millage back to prior-year level

Marion County budget workshop: staff present revised revenue picture; commissioners direct lower millage and contingency moves