Sumter County commissioners Tuesday night approved a $168-million budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Spending is about 25 percent less than last year’s $225 million budget, which included construction costs for two new public safety buildings near Pinellas Plaza and in Bushnell.
The buildings are expected to be completed late this year, although emergency dispatching services may move into the Pinellas Plaza building this week, according to County Administrator Bradley Arnold.
Arnold said spending challenges next year include Hurricane Irma recovery, jail expansion, Interstate 75 improvements and adjustments in state and federal revenue.
The property tax rate of $5.52 per $1,000 assessed valuation is slightly below the rolled-back rate, which is the rate needed to collect the same amount of revenue as the previous year. It is the 13th consecutive year that the county has taxed at or below the rolled-back rate.
Sumter County will collect nearly $60 million in property taxes next year. About $12 million in local option sales taxes and roughly $8 million other taxes also are among 99 revenue sources.
Public safety accounted for the largest spending increases. The Villages Public Safety District budget of $11 million is $2.9 million higher than last year and the sheriff’s budget of $28.7 million is $2.7 million higher.
Expansion of The Villages, which plans to build 11,000 to 16,000 homes in the villages of Fenney and Southern Oaks, means a greater coverage area for both departments. The sheriff’s office will add 22 new positions, including a dozen detention deputies to staff jails at both public safety buildings.
The county’s outstanding debt was $76.2 million as of June 30, including borrowed money for the two public safety buildings.
About $14 million is allocated for roadway improvements next year.
In other business, the board approved an ordinance to rezone 1,623 properties from agriculture to rural residential. The parcels are clustered where homes have been built in areas ranging from Oxford to along the Withlachooche River.