St. Johns County's $1.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 took effect Thursday, Oct. 1. The Board of County Commissioners approved the spending plan at a Sept. 15 final budget hearing without raising the property-tax millage rate.

The exact adopted figure is $1,939,752,566, according to the county's final budget hearing. The total includes $484 million in carry-forwards and grant adjustments from projects funded in FY2026 that are not yet complete.

Wade Schroeder, director of the county's Office of Management and Budget, told commissioners at the Sept. 15 hearing that the plan commits more than $264 million in new capital improvement funding. "Of that $260 million, about $126 million is in utilities related to new borrowing for the utility structures," Schroeder said.

That $126 million in utility borrowing is repaid through water and wastewater customer rates, not property taxes. It is driven partly by Senate Bill 64, a state mandate requiring utilities to eliminate discharges into state water bodies. Projects include a wastewater facility, a water facility and reclaimed-water pipelines.

The remaining new capital dollars go toward roads, facilities and stormwater systems. Including carry-forwards from prior years, the total capital improvement plan exceeds $704 million.

The budget also adds 33.25 new full-time positions. Thirty are firefighter slots for Fire/EMS. The board separately approved a Fire Rescue collective bargaining agreement that added salary increases not in the original proposal.

Amendment 3 adds budget uncertainty

The spending plan arrives alongside a looming fiscal question. Voters will decide Property Tax Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. The measure would expand the homestead property-tax exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 over two years and cut the annual assessment cap on non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

The county has been preparing since May for the amendment's potential effects. According to a county press release, roughly $100 million in capital projects have been placed on hold, including the planned Beachwalk fire station and associated staffing. The budget also sets aside $31.2 million in emergency response reserves and $30 million in General Fund reserves earmarked for financial resiliency.

The stakes are large. The Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research estimates that if Amendment 3 passes, St. Johns County could lose $68.3 million in property-tax revenue in FY2028, $136.1 million in FY2029 and $191.6 million by FY2032.

At a Sept. 2 budget hearing, Schroeder warned commissioners that a 32% revenue reduction would reach every corner of county government. "I would venture to say that there would be no area untouched, including, unfortunately, public safety," he said, as reported by the St. Johns Citizen.

The five commissioners on the Sept. 15 agenda are Chair Clay Murphy, Vice-Chair Ann Taylor, Commissioner Christian Whitehurst, Commissioner Sarah Arnold and Commissioner Krista Joseph.

The county says it does not advocate for or against Amendment 3 but provides factual information to residents at sjcfl.us/amendment-3. The $100 million in paused projects will be reassessed after the Nov. 3 election.