COUNTY ANNUAL BUDGET

F.S. Ch. 129

in effect

F.S. 129.01 Budget system established.

A budget system for the control of the finances of the boards of county commissioners of the several counties of the state is established as follows: (1) A budget shall be prepared, approved, adopted, and executed as prescribed in this chapter for each fiscal year. At a minimum, the budget must show for each fund, as required by law and sound financial practices, budgeted revenues and expenditures by organizational unit which are at least at the level of detail required for the annual financial report under s. 218.32(1). (2) The budget must conform to the following general directions and requirements: (a) The budget must be prepared, summarized, and approved by the board of county commissioners of each county. (b) The budget may not provide funding to any office, special district, or governmental unit exercising any power or authority allocated exclusively to a sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, or clerk of the court by the State Constitution or general law. (c) The budget must be balanced, so that the total of the estimated receipts available from taxation and other sources, including balances brought forward from prior fiscal years, equals the total of appropriations for expenditures and reserves. The budgeted receipts must include 95 percent of all receipts reasonably anticipated from all sources, including taxes to be levied, provided the percent anticipated from ad valorem levies is as specified in s. 200.065(2)(a), and is 100 percent of the amount of the balances estimated to be brought forward at the beginning of the fiscal year. The appropriations must include itemized appropriations for all expenditures authorized by law, contemplated to be made, or incurred for the benefit of the county during the year and the provision for reserves authorized by this chapter. Both the receipts and appropriations must reflect the approximate division of expenditures between countywide expenditures and noncountywide expenditures and the division of county revenues derived from or on behalf of the county as a whole and county revenues derived from or on behalf of a municipal service taxing unit, special district included within the county budget, unincorporated area, service area, or program area, or otherwise not received for or on behalf of the county as a whole. (d) Provision may be made for the following reserves: 1. A reserve for contingencies may be provided which does not exceed 10 percent of the total appropriations. 2. A reserve for cash balance to be carried over may be provided for the purpose of paying expenses from October 1 of the next fiscal year until the revenues for that year are expected to be available. This reserve may not be more than 20 percent of the total appropriations. However, for the bond interest and sinking fund budget, this reserve may not exceed the total maturities of debt, both principal and interest, which will occur during the next fiscal year, plus the sinking fund requirements, computed on a straight-line basis, for any outstanding obligations to be paid from the fund. (e) An appropriation for outstanding indebtedness shall be made to provide for the payment of vouchers that have been incurred in and charged against the budget for the current year or a prior year, but that are expected to be unpaid at the beginning of the next fiscal year. The appropriation for the payment of such vouchers shall be to the same fund in which the expenses were originally incurred. (f) Any surplus arising from an excess of the estimated cash balance over the estimated amount of unpaid obligations to be carried over in a fund at the end of the current fiscal year may be transferred to any of the other funds of the county, and the amount so transferred shall be budgeted as a receipt to such other funds. However, a surplus: 1. In a fund raised for debt service may not be transferred to another fund until the debt for which the fund was established has been extinguished. 2. In a capital outlay reserve fund may not be transferred to another fund until the projects for which the capital outlay reserve fund was raised have been completed and all obligations paid.

F.S. 129.02 Requisites of budgets.

Each budget shall conform to the following specific directions and requirements: (1) General fund budget shall contain an estimate of receipts by source, including any taxes now or hereafter authorized by law to be levied for any countywide purpose, except those countywide purposes provided for in the budgets enumerated below, any tax millage limitation to the contrary notwithstanding, and including any balance brought forward as provided herein; and an itemized estimate of expenditures that will need to be incurred to carry on all functions and activities of the county government now or hereafter authorized by law, except those functions and activities provided for in the budgets enumerated below, and of unpaid vouchers of the general fund; also of the reserve for contingencies and of the balances, as hereinbefore provided, which should be carried forward at the end of the year. (2) The County Transportation Trust Fund budget shall contain an estimate of receipts by source and balances as provided herein, and an itemized estimate of expenditures that need to be incurred to carry on all work on roads and bridges in the county except that provided for in the capital outlay reserve fund budget and in district budgets pursuant to this chapter, and of unpaid vouchers of the County Transportation Trust Fund; also of the reserve for contingencies and the balance, as hereinbefore provided, which should be carried forward at the end of the year. (3) The budget for the county fine and forfeiture fund shall contain an estimate of receipts by source and balances as provided herein, and an itemized estimate of expenditures that need to be incurred to carry on all criminal prosecution, and all other law enforcement functions and activities of the county now or hereafter authorized by law, and of indebtedness of the county fine and forfeiture fund; also of the reserve for contingencies and the balance, as hereinbefore provided, which should be carried forward at the end of the year. (4)(a) Capital outlay reserve fund budget shall contain an estimate of receipts by source, including any taxes authorized by law to be levied for that purpose, and including any balance brought forward as provided for herein; and an itemized estimate of expenditures for capital purposes to give effect to general improvement programs. It shall be a plan for the expenditure of funds for capital purposes, showing as income the revenues, special assessments, borrowings, receipts from sale of capital assets, free surpluses, and down payment appropriation to be applied to the cost of a capital project or projects, expenses of issuance of obligations, engineering, supervision, contracts, and any other related expenditures. It may contain also an estimate for the reserves as hereinbefore provided and for a reserve for future construction and improvements. No expenditures or obligations shall be incurred for capital purposes except as appropriated in this budget, except for the preliminary expense of plans, specifications and estimates. (b) Under the provision herein set forth, a separate capital budget may be adopted for each special district included within the county budget, or a consolidated capital budget may be adopted providing for the consolidation of capital projects of the county and of the special districts included within the county budget into one budget, treating borrowed funds and other receipts as special revenue earmarked for capital projects as separately itemized appropriation for each district special project or county project, as the case may be. (c) Any funds in the capital budget not required to meet the current construction cost of any project may be invested in any securities of the Federal Government or in securities of any county of the state pledging the full faith and credit of such county or pledging such county’s share of the gas tax provided for in s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885 as adopted by the State Constitution or in s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution. (5) A bond interest and sinking fund budget shall be made for each county and for each special district included within the county budget having bonds outstanding. The budget shall contain an estimate of receipts by source, including any taxes authorized by law to be levied for that purpose, and including any balances brought forward as provided herein; and an itemized estimate of expenditures and reserves as follows: The bond interest and principal maturities in the year for which the budget is made shall be determined and estimates for expenses connected with the payments of such bonds and coupons, commissions of the tax collector, and of the property appraiser, and expenses of refunding operations, if any are contemplated, shall be appropriated. A sufficient “cash balance to be carried over” may be reserved as set forth hereinbefore. The sinking fund requirements provided for in the said reserve may be carried over either in cash or in securities of the Federal Government and of the local governments in Florida, or both. (6) For each special district included within the county budget, the budget must show budgeted revenues and expenditures by organizational unit which are at least at the level of detail required for the annual financial report under s. 218.32(1). The amount available from taxation and other sources, including balances brought forward from prior fiscal years, must equal the total appropriations for expenditures and reserves. The budget must include expenditures necessary to carry on all functions and activities of the special district as provided by law, including the indebtedness of the special district and the provision for required reserves.

F.S. 129.03 Preparation and adoption of budget.

(1) Pursuant to s. 200.065, the county property appraiser shall certify to the county budget officer his or her estimate of the total valuations against which taxes may be levied in the entire county and in each district in the county in which taxes are authorized by law to be levied by the board of county commissioners for funds under its control. In preparing the budget, the figure so certified shall be used as the basis for estimating the millage rate required to be levied and shall be noted on each tentative budget and each official budget, on the same line with the amount estimated to be raised from taxes. (2) On or before June 1 of each year, the sheriff, the clerk of the circuit court and county comptroller, the tax collector subject to a resolution entered into pursuant to s. 145.022(1), and the supervisor of elections shall each submit to the board of county commissioners a tentative budget for their respective offices for the ensuing fiscal year. However, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, require the tentative budgets to be submitted by May 1 of each year. (3) The county budget officer, after tentatively ascertaining the proposed fiscal policies of the board for the next fiscal year, shall prepare and present to the board a tentative budget for the next fiscal year for each of the funds provided in this chapter, including all estimated receipts, taxes to be levied, and balances expected to be brought forward and all estimated expenditures, reserves, and balances to be carried over at the end of the year. (a) The board of county commissioners shall receive and examine the tentative budget for each fund and, subject to the notice and hearing requirements of s. 200.065, shall require such changes to be made as it deems necessary, provided the budget remains in balance. The county budget officer’s estimates of receipts other than taxes, and of balances to be brought forward, may not be revised except by a resolution of the board, duly passed and spread on the minutes of the board. However, the board may allocate to any of the funds of the county any anticipated receipts, other than taxes levied for a particular fund, except receipts designated or received to be expended for a particular purpose. (b) Upon receipt of the tentative budgets and completion of any revisions, the board shall prepare a statement summarizing all of the adopted tentative budgets. The summary statement must show, for each budget and the total of all budgets, the proposed tax millages, balances, reserves, and the total of each major classification of receipts and expenditures, classified according to the uniform classification of accounts adopted by the appropriate state agency. The board shall cause this summary statement to be advertised one time in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county, or by posting at the courthouse door if there is no such newspaper, and the advertisement must appear adjacent to the advertisement required pursuant to s. 200.065. (c) The board shall hold public hearings to adopt tentative and final budgets pursuant to s. 200.065. The hearings shall be primarily for the purpose of hearing requests and complaints from the public regarding the budgets and the proposed tax levies and for explaining the budget and any proposed or adopted amendments. The tentative budget must be posted on the county’s official website at least 2 days before the public hearing to consider such budget and must remain on the website for at least 45 days. The final budget must be posted on the website within 30 days after adoption and must remain on the website for at least 2 years. The tentative budgets, adopted tentative budgets, and final budgets shall be filed in the office of the county auditor as a public record. Sufficient reference in words and figures to identify the particular transactions must be made in the minutes of the board to record its actions with reference to the budgets. (d) By each October 15, the county budget officer shall electronically submit the following information regarding the final budget and the county’s economic status to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research in the format specified by the office: 1. Government spending per resident, including, at a minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years. 2. Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum, the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years. 3. Median income within the county. 4. The average county employee salary. 5. Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for county employees. 6. Number of special taxing districts, wholly or partially, within the county. 7. Annual county expenditures providing for the financing, acquisition, construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of housing that is affordable, as that term is defined in s. 420.0004. The reported expenditures must indicate the source of such funds as “federal,” “state,” “local,” or “other,” as applicable. The information required by this subparagraph must be included in the submission due by October 15, 2020, and each annual submission thereafter.

F.S. 129.04 Fiscal year.

The fiscal year of each county of the state shall commence on October 1, and end on September 30 of each year, and whenever the word “year” appears in this chapter, it shall be construed as meaning the fiscal year as hereby established.

F.S. 129.06 Execution and amendment of budget.

(1) Upon the final adoption of the budgets as provided in this chapter, the budgets so adopted must regulate expenditures of the county and each special district included within the county budget, and the itemized estimates of expenditures must have the effect of fixed appropriations and may not be amended, altered, or exceeded except as provided in this chapter. (a) The modified-accrual basis or accrual basis of accounting must be followed for all funds in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. (b) The cost of the investments provided in this chapter, or the receipts from their sale or redemption, may not be treated as expense or income, and the investments on hand at the beginning or end of each fiscal year must be carried as separate items at cost in the fund balances; however, the amounts of profit or loss received on their sale must be treated as income or expense, as applicable. (2) The board at any time within a fiscal year may amend a budget for that year, and may within the first 60 days of a fiscal year amend the budget for the prior fiscal year, as follows: (a) Appropriations for expenditures within any fund may be decreased or increased by motion recorded in the minutes if the total appropriations of the fund does not change. The board of county commissioners may establish procedures by which the designated budget officer may authorize budget amendments if the total appropriations of the fund does not change. (b) Appropriations from the reserve for contingencies may be made to increase the appropriation for any particular expense in the same fund, or to create an appropriation in the fund for any lawful purpose, but expenditures may not be charged directly to the reserve for contingencies. (c) The reserve for future construction and improvements may be appropriated by resolution of the board for the purposes for which the reserve was made. (d) A receipt of a nature from a source not anticipated in the budget and received for a particular purpose, including but not limited to grants, donations, gifts, or reimbursement for damages, may, by resolution of the board spread on its minutes, be appropriated and expended for that purpose, in addition to the appropriations and expenditures provided for in the budget. Such receipts and appropriations must be added to the budget of the proper fund. The resolution may amend the budget to transfer revenue between funds to properly account for unanticipated revenue. (e) Increased receipts for enterprise or proprietary funds received for a particular purpose may, by resolution of the board spread on its minutes, be appropriated and expended for that purpose, in addition to the appropriations and expenditures provided for in the budget. The resolution may amend the budget to transfer revenue between funds to properly account for increased receipts. (f) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, if an amendment to a budget is required for a purpose not specifically authorized in paragraphs (a)-(e), the amendment may be authorized by resolution or ordinance of the board of county commissioners adopted following a public hearing. 1. The public hearing must be advertised at least 2 days, but not more than 5 days, before the date of the hearing. The advertisement must appear in a newspaper of paid general circulation and must identify the name of the taxing authority, the date, place, and time of the hearing, and the purpose of the hearing. The advertisement must also identify each budgetary fund to be amended, the source of the funds, the use of the funds, and the total amount of each fund’s appropriations. 2. If the board amends the budget pursuant to this paragraph, the adopted amendment must be posted on the county’s official website within 5 days after adoption and must remain on the website for at least 2 years. (3) Only the following transfers may be made between funds: (a) Transfers to correct errors in handling receipts and disbursements. (b) Budgeted transfers. (c) Transfers to properly account for unanticipated revenue or increased receipts. (4) All unexpended balances of appropriations at the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the fund from which the appropriation was made, but reserves for sinking funds and for future construction and improvements may not be diverted to other purposes. (5) Any county constitutional officer whose budget is approved by the board of county commissioners, who has not been reelected to office or is not seeking reelection, shall be prohibited from making any budget amendments, transferring funds between itemized appropriations, or expending in a single month more than one-twelfth of any itemized approved appropriation, following the date he or she is eliminated as a candidate or October 1, whichever comes later, without approval of the board of county commissioners.

F.S. 129.07 Unlawful to exceed the budget.

The board of county commissioners may not expend or enter into a contract requiring expenditures in any fiscal year for more than the amount of appropriations in each fund’s budget, except as provided herein, and the total appropriations of any budget may not be exceeded, except as provided in s. 129.06. Any indebtedness contracted for any purpose against either of the funds enumerated in this chapter or for any purpose, which is chargeable to either of the funds, is null and void, and no suit may be prosecuted in any court in this state for the collection of such indebtedness. The members of the board of county commissioners voting and contracting for such indebtedness are liable for any excess indebtedness contracted for.

F.S. 129.08 County commissioner voting to pay illegal claim or for excess indebtedness.

Each member of the board of county commissioners who knowingly and willfully votes to incur an indebtedness against the county in excess of the expenditure allowed by law or county ordinance, or to pay an illegal charge against the county, or to pay any claim against the county not authorized by law or county ordinance shall be guilty of malfeasance in office and subject to suspension and removal from office as now provided by law, and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, for each offense.

F.S. 129.09 County auditor not to sign illegal warrants.

Any clerk of the circuit court, acting as county auditor, who shall sign any warrant for the payment of any claim or bill or indebtedness against any county funds in excess of the expenditure allowed by law, or county ordinance, or to pay any illegal charge against the county, or to pay any claim against the county not authorized by law, or county ordinance, shall be personally liable for such amount, and if he or she shall sign such warrant willfully and knowingly he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

F.S. 129.011 Consolidation of funds.

(1) In order to simplify and otherwise improve the accounting system provided by law and to facilitate a better understanding of the fiscal operation of the county by the general public, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution duly adopted, consolidate any of its separate budgetary funds into a single general fund, except that all revenue and expenditures of the county transportation trust fund established pursuant to s. 336.022 shall be shown as a separate budgetary fund. (2) Subsequent to the consolidation of any budgetary funds as provided in subsection (1), the maximum permitted tax millage of the combined fund shall be the total amount authorized by law for the separate funds so consolidated. (3) This section is deemed to be in the general public interests and it is the intent of the Legislature that the provisions hereof shall be liberally construed to accomplish the purposes contained herein.

F.S. 129.021 County officer budget information.

Notwithstanding other provisions of law, the budgets of all county officers, as submitted to the board of county commissioners, must be in sufficient detail and contain such information as the board of county commissioners may require in furtherance of their powers and responsibilities provided in ss. 125.01(1)(q), (r), and (v), and (6) and 129.01(2)(c).

F.S. 129.025 County budget officer.

(1) Each board of county commissioners may designate a county budget officer to carry out the duties set forth in this chapter. Unless the board designates a different officer, the clerk of the circuit court or the county comptroller, if applicable, shall be the budget officer for the purposes of this chapter. (2) The Legislature finds that the duties of county budget officer set forth in this chapter do not fall within the constitutional responsibilities performed by the several clerks of the circuit court as auditor and custodian of county funds. The position of county budget officer shall not constitute an office in the meaning of s. 5, Art. II of the State Constitution.

F.S. 129.201 Budget of supervisor of elections; manner and time of preparation and presentation.

(1) Pursuant to ss. 129.01 and 129.03(2), each supervisor of elections shall annually prepare and submit to the board of county commissioners, or county budget commission if there is one in the county, a proposed budget for carrying out the powers, duties, and operations of the office of the supervisor of elections for the next fiscal year. The fiscal year of the supervisor of elections commences on October 1 of each year and ends on September 30 of the following year. (2) Expenditures must be itemized in accordance with the uniform accounting system prescribed by the Department of Financial Services as follows: (a) Personnel services. (b) Operating expenses. (c) Capital outlay. (d) Debt service. (e) Grants and aids. (f) Other uses. (3) The supervisor of elections shall furnish to the board of county commissioners or the county budget commission all relevant and pertinent information that the board or commission deems necessary, including expenditures at the subobject code level in accordance with the uniform accounting system prescribed by the Department of Financial Services. The board or commission may not amend, modify, increase, or reduce any expenditure at the subobject code level. (4) The board or commission, as appropriate, may require the supervisor of elections to correct mathematical, mechanical, factual, and clerical errors and errors of form in the proposed budget. At the hearings held pursuant to s. 200.065, the board or commission may amend, modify, increase, or reduce any or all items of expenditure in the proposed budget as submitted under subsections (1) and (2); and, as amended, modified, increased, or reduced, such budget shall be approved by the board or commission, which must provide written notice of its action to specific items amended, modified, increased, or reduced. (5) The board or commission shall include in the county budget the items of proposed expenditures set forth in the budget which are required by this section to be submitted, after the budget has been reviewed and approved. The board or commission shall include the supervisor of elections’ reserve for contingencies in the general county budget’s reserve for contingencies account. (6) The supervisor of elections’ reserve for contingencies is governed by the same provisions governing the amount and use of the reserve for contingencies appropriated in the county budget. (7) The proposed budget shall be submitted to the board of county commissioners or county budget commission pursuant to s. 129.03(2) and included by the board or commission in the general county budget. (8) The items placed in the budget of the board are subject to the same provisions of law as the county annual budget; however, an amendment to the appropriations of the office of the supervisor of elections may not be made without due notice of the change to the supervisor of elections. (9) The budget of the supervisor of elections may be increased by the board of county commissioners to cover expenses for emergencies and unanticipated expenses as are recommended and justified by the supervisor of elections.

F.S. 129.202 Budget of supervisor of elections; matters related to allocation, expenditure, etc., of amounts in budget.

(1)(a) The supervisor of elections shall requisition and the board of county commissioners shall pay that officer, at the first meeting in October of each year, 25 percent of the total amount budgeted for the office and, thereafter on the first of each month, 6.82 percent of the total amount budgeted for the office. However, if there are unusual or unanticipated expenses in any one month, upon notification by the supervisor of elections, the board shall transfer the necessary amount, except that the total amount paid during the year shall not, without appropriate amendments, exceed the total budgeted for the year. (b) The appropriation shall be transferred into a special account set up in the name of the supervisor of elections, and the clerk of the court acting as the clerk of the board of county commissioners shall draw checks or warrants thereon for payment of all expenses requisitioned by the supervisor of elections. All salaries shall be supported by payrolls, and all expenses paid shall be supported with bills approved by the supervisor of elections. Should the supervisor of elections desire, he or she may have the monthly allocation for the office of the supervisor of elections deposited directly into an official bank or depository trust account for the supervisor of elections and draw his or her own checks thereon for payment of budgeted expenditures authorized by law. All fees, commissions, and other funds collected by the supervisor of elections shall be deposited directly into the supervisor of elections’ special account established under this subsection. (c) Regardless of whether the supervisor of elections draws checks or warrants for the office of the supervisor of elections or allows the clerk to handle that function, the supervisor of elections may have a revolving petty cash fund established for payment of small cash outlay items by cash, check, or warrant. The revolving petty cash fund shall be reimbursed from time to time upon the presentation of vouchers and receipts substantiating disbursements from the fund. (d) If the supervisor of elections draws the checks or warrants for the office of the supervisor of elections, he or she shall keep the necessary budget accounts and records and shall charge all paid bills and payrolls to the proper budget accounts. If the clerk draws the checks for the office of the supervisor of elections, this responsibility shall remain with the clerk. A reserve for contingencies, or any part thereof, may be transferred to any of the budget accounts in the discretion of the supervisor of elections. (e) All expenses incurred in the fiscal year for which the budget is made shall be vouchered and charged to the budget for that year. To carry out the purpose of this budgeting provision, the books may be held open for 30 days after the end of the year. (f) All unexpended balances at the end of each fiscal year shall be refunded to the board of county commissioners and deposited to the county fund or funds from which payment was originally made. (2) The independence of the supervisor of elections shall be preserved concerning the purchase of supplies and equipment; the selection of personnel; and the hiring, firing, and setting of salaries of such personnel; however, nothing herein contained shall restrict the operation of any lawfully established county civil service system.

Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter129/AllFetched: 7/8/2026