Hillsborough County Commission FY27 Budget Reconciliation Public Hearing – July 29, 2026
Hillsborough County Commission FY27 Budget Reconciliation Public Hearing – July 29, 2026
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing on July 29, 2026, to reconcile the fiscal year 2027 budget, set preliminary millage rates, and consider flagged items. The meeting featured extensive public comment on the Florida Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA) funding, board discussion on nonprofit allocations, and approval of the proposed millage ceiling.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Opposition to FIBA funding: Multiple speakers (Nadia Askar, Rhea Shringari, Angel D'Angelo, Chase Harold, Bianca Melendez, Amad Alconey, Lena Vu, Haley Manigold, Chelsea Manriguez, David Zulian, Rev. John Palm, Ferris Shaheer) urged the county to remove all funding from FIBA. They argued that tax dollars should be spent locally on affordable housing, stormwater infrastructure, healthcare, public transit, and education rather than on a foreign business accelerator. Several noted FIBA’s reported creation of fewer than 60 jobs and its association with Israeli defense companies. Nadia Askar stated FIBA has generated "less than 60 total" jobs. Ferris Shaheer noted FIBA received over $3 million in private funding and nearly $1 million in county funds over seven years.
- Support for FIBA: Natalie Bletcher and Alfred Goldberg spoke in favor of continued FIBA funding. Bletcher described it as an economic development tool attracting high-tech jobs and partnerships. Goldberg, who helped found FIBA, corrected what he called misrepresentations, stating the county does not give money directly to Israeli companies but supports a nonprofit that recruits companies to establish operations locally. He emphasized economic benefits and accountability measures.
- Connie Rose (Victim to Survivors US): Clarified that her organization was listed as a member of the Truth Based and Action Alliance without authorization in a funding proposal. She requested the record reflect that V2SUS is not a member and urged future proposals to obtain express permission before listing partner organizations.
- Dr. James Davison: Criticized the county’s millage rate slide showing a decrease since 1999, arguing the drop occurred mostly during the 2001–2007 period and that millage rates have not been reduced in recent years. He also warned of potential $2 billion property tax collections by 2031 if tax exemptions are not passed.
- Reverend John Palm: Asked the county attorney to review whether FIBA funding violates the Leahy Law, citing International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
Discussion Items
- Budget Presentation: Kevin Bricky, Budget Director, presented the FY27 recommended budget of $14.1 billion (a $2.1 billion increase), with an operating budget of $5 billion driven by the One Water project and CDBG-DR program. The recommendation includes a third year of a millage swap: a 0.1 mill decrease in countywide millage and a 0.1 mill increase in unincorporated millage, described as a tax cut in the three cities and net zero in unincorporated areas. The countywide general fund is $1.6 billion, with 80% of property tax revenue going to public safety (sheriff, fire rescue). Bricky also noted the new two-thirds majority requirement for millage adjustments under recent state legislation and the potential $213 million impact of the proposed constitutional amendment on homestead exemptions.
- Commissioner Cohen Motion – The Spring (Domestic Violence Shelter): Commissioner Cohen moved to remove The Spring from his flag list and restore its funding to the county administrator’s budget, citing state law requiring that domestic violence shelters receive 25% municipal or county match to access state funds. He stated he would not reallocate the money to another nonprofit but would direct any remainder to ditch and outfall work in Town ’n’ Country. The motion passed 7-0.
- Commissioner Wolstell Comments: Expressed concerns about inequity in the flagging process, noting that one commissioner repeatedly allocates far above the even distribution. He encouraged revisiting a motion from the prior year to cap allocations evenly, which missed by one vote.
- Approval of Flagged Items (excluding community project): A motion to approve the list of flagged items (nonprofit allocations) passed 7-0.
- Feeding Tampa Bay Community Project: A motion to approve Feeding Tampa Bay funding was made and seconded. Commissioner Wilson then made a substitute motion to defer the item to the September 10 budget hearing, which passed 4-3 (Commissioners Cohen, Hagen, and Myers voting no).
- Preliminary Millage Rate Setting: Commissioner Cohen read the motion to set the proposed operating and debt service millages for TRIM notices:
- Countywide General Revenue Fund: 5.3608 mills
- Debt Service (Environmentally Sensitive Lands): 0.0604 mills
- Total Countywide: 5.4212 mills
- Non-Countywide MSTU Operating: 4.7163 mills
- Library Services District: 0.5583 mills
- Aggregate increase from rolled-back rate: 0.40%
- First public hearing set for September 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. The motion passed 7-0. Several commissioners clarified this sets a maximum ceiling, not a final rate, and can be reduced later.
- Drowning Prevention Program: A commissioner confirmed that increased funding for the drowning prevention program, previously approved, is included in the budget.
Key Outcomes
- Vote Tallies:
- Removal of The Spring from flag list: 7-0
- Approval of flagged items: 7-0
- Deferral of Feeding Tampa Bay community project: 4-3 (passed)
- Adoption of preliminary millage rates: 7-0
- Next Steps: The board will hold the first public hearing on the tentative FY27 budget on September 10, 2026, and the final public hearing on September 24, 2026. Changes to the budget may be made up until the final hearing.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the works. In today's episode, we're taken to the skies with Hillsborough County Mosquito Control to find out how they combat the spread of disease and the rising mosquito population. So when it comes to mosquitoes, how exactly are we combating them in the sky? Nobody complains about larva, they complain about mosquitoes and specifically adult mosquitoes, female mosquitoes, ones that bite you, right? But it's a lot easier to control adult mosquitoes by control up at larva. What we do is we use a larva side product that attacks the larval in the swamps of uh the bank road areas along the coast here. We stop their growth so they never grow up and become adult mosquitoes. Uh public hearing. At this time, I'll pass things over to the county administrator to make some opening remarks. Thank you, and good morning, commissioners. This morning we're gonna complete our we're gonna have our annual budget reconciliation public hearing. There are four main items that are going to occur at this morning's meeting. First, this is a public hearing, so you'll receive public comment regarding the budget. After public comment, Kevin Bricky, the budget director, will give a brief overview of the fiscal year 27 budget. And thirdly, the board will consider changes to the recommended budget. The backup materials you receive for this meeting does include the flag items that board members identified as of last Friday, along with an update that was distributed yesterday afternoon. Changes to the budget may be made through the last budget public hearing, which will be held on September 24th. And then lastly, the board will approve preliminary millage rates as required by Florida statutes. This action is required by state law and will enable the property appraiser to issue the truth and millage notices to property owners in August. And so now it would be appropriate to take public comment. Mr. Chair, it looks like there are 22 people who have signed up to speak. Okay, thank you. Uh we'll go into the public comment uh portion of the agenda. Um each person will be given three minutes. So please state your name, speak clearly into the microphone. First three speakers are signed up, Ferris Shaheer, followed by a Nadia Askar and then Ariya Shringeri, who's virtual. Okay, how about Nadia Askar? Please come forward. Then Rhea Shringeri, who's virtual, and then Natalie Bletcher, who's virtual. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Nadia Oscar. I live in the Tampa area. My family has lived here since the early 90s. I am here today to once again express the demands of local community members and myself who want all funding removed from the Florida Israeli business accelerator in the 2027 plan budget. For too long, the tax dollars of Hillsboro County residents have been allocated to FIBA that collects funds from both public and private sources to be dispersed to foreign Israeli businesses. So to say that FIBA doesn't give any money to Israel is misleading since the businesses that they accelerate, like extend defense support the mission and the economy of this foreign entity profiting from war. FIBA and their executives claim to bring jobs to Hillsboro County when reality these jobs equate to less than 60 total, or about five each Israeli company. And their positions that are not regularly available to Hillsboro County residents that don't have the background or the resources. So to my understanding, it's that we pay taxes and our elected officials use them to better our quality of life. The investment into FIBA that has come out of the pockets of your constituents is not something that residents see any ROI from, especially within the community. If the county is interested in investing in business development services, the answer is to invest locally. Since speaking to community members in Hillsboro County and surveying them about what they would rather have their talks tax dollars spent on, not once was FIBA mentioned. Um nor was the acceleration of Israeli businesses in Florida mentioned. Some of the things that were mentioned, and that we should envision our tax dollars better spent on, include better school programs for students, public transportation, social services for senior and low-income families, resources for the houseless and women's shelters and other local initiatives that benefit the citizens here and in Hillsborough County rather than car cause harm in other parts of the world. There is a shared responsibility that you have to us and to our tax dollars in Hillsborough County. We believe that our Hillsborough County tax dollars should be spent in Hillsborough County to provide to provide schools in Hillsborough County and health care or roads in Hillsborough County and not to be invested in a foreign entity that makes other people's lives worse rather than to make our lives better here. After listening to the concerns of your residents, you know, in previous meetings and listening to different CEOs. We hope that you make the right decision by listening to your constituents and by removing all funding to the Israeli companies to FIBA and instead invest in life-saving services for Hillsborough County residents today.
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