They cut the rate. They collected $64 million more.→
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In the newsBy SCF Staff · October 9, 2025

The county's spending is racing ahead of its revenue — by its own projections.

Spending has pushed past $2.5 billion, and the county's own forecasts show deficits of $31.6 million in FY2028 and about $41 million in FY2029. One commissioner called it spending 'we don't have.'

BudgetSheriff BudgetTom Knight

The story

WWSB ABC7 reported that the county's budget keeps climbing and asked whether revenue can keep pace. The county's own projections answer it: shortfalls of about $31.6 million in FY2028 widening to roughly $41 million in FY2029 — even after a property-tax rate cut that still produced $64 million more in collections. Commissioners campaigned on living within the county's means. The record shows $876 million in new spending and debt in three years — about $7,189 per family of four — and a forecast the board itself published showing the gap getting worse, not better.

From WWSB ABC7's reporting

WWSB ABC7 reported that Sarasota County's budget keeps growing past $2.5 billion, and questioned whether the county's revenue can keep up with its rising spending.

By the numbers

  • $2.52B

    The FY2026 budget — $2.52 billion, the largest in the county's modern record (FY2020–FY2026 documents examined) — was adopted 4-1 at the tentative hearing and 3-1 at the final hearing, over Commissioner Knight's lone dissent.

    The biggest budget in the modern record passed over the only 'no' in the room.

  • 4–1 / 3–1

    The record FY2026 budget passed 4-1 at the September 10, 2025 tentative hearing and 3-1 at the September 24, 2025 final hearing (one commissioner absent) — Knight the lone dissent both times.

    Five commissioners. Only one ever voted no.

Read all 28 facts →

Read the full article at WWSB ABC7→SCF investigations

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