The recommended Osceola County budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025, tentatively approved by county commissioners at a July 15 meeting, is set for $1.96 billion. This represents a 25% decrease of compared to last year’s 2024 budget, however, this figure does not reflect ongoing capital and grant project costs that will not be included until the tentative budget is presented for approval in September.
While millage rates for the county’s General Fund (6.7 mills—a mill is the amount paid per $1,000 of assessed value), EMS, and Library are staying the same, the rate for Environmental Land Maintenance will increase slightly, and Environmental Land Debt will decrease slightly.
The county’s budget includes funding for the separate Constitutional Offices, including the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, the Clerk of the Court and County Comptroller, and the Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, and Supervisor of Elections offices. Components of the Library System are also funded through the county.
According to 2025 budget documents available on the county’s website, the county projects slight increases in revenues from sources such as Tourist Development Taxes, State Shared Revenues, and Local Government Sales Taxes. Property valuations have increased to over $52 billion, representing an 11.8% increase over FY24. Property valuation, including new construction, lags by a year before they can be added to the tax roll, so these increases reflect the firstyear property taxes for new properties and appreciation of existing properties that occurred during 2023.
Property valuations for tax purposes, consisting of increased value of existing property and new construction, have grown by 80% since FY 2020, from $29 million to over $50 billion.
While the millage rate will remain the same, individual property owners may see an increase in their ad valorem (“according to value” in Latin) property taxes if their property has increased in value over the previous year.
As part of the budget, the county is adding approximately 42 new full-time employees/fulltime equivalent positions. These positions are widely scattered across all functions, indicating the need for increased services due to population growth.
Some of the budget highlights for public safety include salary adjustments for the Sheriff’s Office, needed to remain competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the greater Orlando market. There is also funding for an additional 19 deputies, and renovations at the County Jail, according to a county release. The FY 2025 budget also funds the construction of fire stations, including a new station in Campbell City, and additional and replacement equipment and vehicles.
Residents still have opportunities to give input on the County’s FY25 budget and proposed millage and rates. The first public hearing on the tax rates proposed for the budget will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Chambers.
The proposed FY25 budget and related documents can be found at https://bit.ly/3y8nQDR.
