Pinellas Commission Adopts 2018 Budget

CLEARWATER, FL – Earlier this week, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners adopted is $2.25 billion budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which begins Sunday, Oct. 1.

The total budget increased $66 million, or 3 percent, over the total 2017 fiscal year budget to increase personal services, capital and reserves. Pinellas County reported did not need to increase countywide millage rates in the General Fund and Emergency Medical Services to balance the budget while still meeting the needs of the community.

However, the county said countywide Health Department millage rate increased from 0.0622 to 0.0835 to generate $1.5 million to hire full-time nurses in every Pinellas County public school.

Pinellas County said in a release that the county’s goals for the 2018 fiscal year will be achieved at a staffing level equivalent that was last seen in the 1989 fiscal year. The county said the new budget will “carefully and incrementally” restore service levels in the following areas:

• Recommendations by the Pinellas County Wastewater/Stormwater Task Force to implement studies and projects to relieve wastewater collection systems from stormwater inflow
• Meals on Wheels (Neighborly Care – Senior Services) service expansion to reach an additional 170 seniors
• Reclaimed water system studies to explore opportunities to address service gaps during drought conditions
• Affordable housing investments to enable additional construction and rehabilitation with public and private partners
• Enhance 911 Call Center staffing to address increasing call volume, overtime costs and employee retention

The Board of Commissioners approved the budget at its Tuesday, Sept. 26 meeting after speaking with the public throughout the year in a series of public meetings and events, including the Community Conversation in June.

Commissioners also held a series of budget information sessions to focus on key program areas and develop strategies to better serve the community. These sessions focused on budget proposals for county departments, along with independent agencies and elected officials.

An overview of the budget is available for Pinellas County residents to review at the Office of Management and Budget website, www.pinellascounty.org/budget. Residents can also see the adopted budget on the Pinellas County OpenGov site at www.pinellascounty.org/budget/opengov.htm.

Residents can also learn more about the budget process on the county’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/pcctv1.

Photography provided courtesy of Pinellas County Marketing and Communications Department