Lee County Commissioners approved a $3.015 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
The budget holds the property tax rate steady but will result in higher bills for many due to rising property values.
County employees will receive a 5% pay raise, and the Sheriff’s Office budget will increase to $342 million.
The Lee County Commissioners unanimously adopted a $3.015 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year Tuesday, Sept. 16, marking a 5.27% increase from last year’s $2.88 billion budget.
The plan holds the countywide property tax rate steady but keeps it above the “rolled-back” level, meaning most property owners will still see higher bills due to rising property values. It also finalizes a cut in the library millage from the tentative budget and locks in a 5% pay raise for county employees.
The budget approval came after more than two dozen public comments, many of which focused on the county’s Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program. Commissioners stood by the budget as presented, while pledging to hold a separate workshop on the future of the program.
The Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget totals $3,015,744,114 and sets aside $704 million in reserves.
The library millage was reduced to 0.4218 mills, holding flat at the rolled-back rate after commissioners backed away from a proposed increase. It’s slightly below last year’s rate of 0.4361 mills, which could mean some relief for property owners. A mill is the amount of property tax paid per $1,000 of assessed value.
Commissioner David Mulicka noted during an earlier workshop that the library system had
