ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The 2026 Fiscal Year begins on Oct. 1, and as the deadline approaches for Florida counties to submit their final budget proposals, St. Johns County has already started its process by presenting a $1.272 billion budget.
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According to a news release, the county said the proposed budget will include $169 million for its capital improvement plan (CIP), along with $25 million for emergency response reserves. It also seeks to reduce the county’s general fund millage rate from 4.6537 to 4.5650.
The difference will be applied to the Fire District millage to “address future structural budget deficits.”
Components of the $169 million earmarked for the CIP include various park and traffic improvements, additional courtrooms and courthouse security enhancements, a water treatment and reclamation facility, as well as funding for the county’s medical examiner facility and Fire Station #23.
Additionally, the budget seeks to fill 33 firefighter positions, including uniforms and equipment/supplies to staff the new Fire Station 22.
The first public hearing on the budget will be held at the St. Johns County Auditorium on Sept. 3, with a subsequent and final public meeting taking place on Sept. 16.
The $1.272 billion proposal is about half a billion less than what the county approved for its 2025 Fiscal Year, and comes at a time when St. Johns County is experiencing rapid growth, coming in as the 4th fastest growing county in the entire country.
