Tampa City Budget for Fiscal Year 2027

Tampa's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget is $2,039,699,002 net and $2,465,126,669 gross in the hearing notice, covering October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 (FY2027 second budget hearing notice).

The gap between the two totals is $425,427,667 in transfers, reserves and internal charges (City of Tampa); the recommended book, at its Net Budget page, says these adjustments prevent doubling of expenses or revenues (FY2027 recommended book). The recommended book, Built to Last: Fiscal Year 2027, puts it at a $47.4 million net increase over the FY2026 budget of $1,992,258,239 (Recommended FY2027 Operating and Capital Budget).

Amounts come from the summary by fund printed with the notice for the September 22, 2026 hearing (City of Tampa notice). Wastewater and Water together come to about $782 million in that notice, more than the General Fund, which the recommended book calls the primary operating fund of the city, used for services such as public safety, parks and recreation, and general administration. The same book lists Water, Wastewater, Solid Waste, Parking and Golf Courses as enterprise funds and says water and wastewater fees cover the costs of those systems (FY2027 recommended book).

Tampa City Council kept the city operating rate at 6.2076 mills for FY2027, which is 2.30% above the rolled-back rate of 6.0680 mills (City of Tampa millage resolution).

A mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value, so 6.2076 mills means $620.76 of City of Tampa tax on each $100,000 of taxable value after exemptions. The resolution directs the Mayor and City Clerk to certify the rate to the Property Appraiser of Hillsborough County and carries a passed and adopted stamp of September 22, 2026 (Resolution levying 6.2076 mills). The same 6.2076 rate applied in FY2026, when Ordinance No. 2025-97 listed a yield of $380,255,500 and a rolled-back rate of 5.9535 mills, so that year's increase over rolled-back was 4.27% (Ordinance No. 2025-97).

Holding the rate flat still raises more money when values climb: the recommended book says the City of Tampa taxable value rose 4.4% for FY2027, raising property tax revenues by $16.7 million (FY2027 recommended book). Section 200.065 defines the rolled-back rate as the millage that, exclusive of new construction and certain other additions, will provide the same ad valorem tax revenue as was levied in the prior year, calls the percent above it the percentage increase in property taxes, and makes the governing body announce the percent by which its rate exceeds it (Section 200.065, Florida Statutes). In the line item budget printed in the recommended FY2027 book, the General Fund line for Property Tax Current Ad Valorem is $396,991,026 (FY2027 budget book).

The city levy is only part of a Tampa tax bill. The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser final 2025 millage sheet lists the City of Tampa district at a total of 19.8428 mills, with 6.2076 of that for the city and the rest for Hillsborough County, local and state school levies and special districts such as the Port Authority, the Children's Board and SWFWMD (Hillsborough County Property Appraiser). The sheet is headed Final 2025, and its 6.2076 city rate matches the rate in the FY2026 ordinance.

The recommended FY2027 book says the Tampa General Fund increased approximately $23.1 million, primarily from higher salaries, healthcare costs and citywide software license increases (Recommended FY2027 budget).

The book adds that the General Fund increase includes an additional required contribution of $2.7 million to the community redevelopment areas (City of Tampa budget book). Governmental funds as a group fell by $16.8 million from the FY2026 net budget, while Special Revenue Funds rose by $5.0 million, mainly because the Utility Services Tax Fund raised transfers to reserves (FY2027 recommended budget).

Staffing growth has slowed each year since 2024: the FTE table in the recommended FY2027 book shows the General Fund adding 21.55 positions for 2026 to 2027 after 53.75 two years earlier (City of Tampa).

Tampa City Council held two evening public hearings on the FY2027 budget in Old City Hall, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 and Tuesday, September 22, 2026, each at 5:01 PM (City of Tampa first hearing notice; second hearing notice).

Both hearings met in City Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd. The second notice invited residents to submit criticisms, recommendations or suggestions in writing or speak in person, and allowed virtual comment for anyone who registered at tampa.gov/PublicComment at least 24 hours ahead; questions went to the City Clerk's Office at 813-274-8397 (second hearing notice). The notices listed viewing on Spectrum Channel 640, Frontier Channel 15 and the city livestream (City of Tampa).

Tampa's two hearing schedule follows state law. Section 200.065 requires the first hearing on the tentative budget and proposed millage within 80 days of certification of value but not earlier than 65 days after, and requires the intent to finally adopt a millage and budget to be advertised within 15 days after the tentative budget is adopted (Florida Statutes).

A companion resolution stamped September 22, 2026 adopted the Capital Improvement Budget and Program for FY2027 through FY2031 and says nothing in it constitutes approval of any contracts for Capital Improvement Projects, which remain subject to approval by Tampa City Council (Capital budget resolution).

Yes: Tampa City Council amends the FY2027 budget by resolution, and it had already done so at least twice by October 15, 2026 (City of Tampa budget resolutions).

On 10/01/2026 the council adopted a change moving $350,000 within the General and Other Grants Funds for City Planning Department work on the Tampa Resilient Industries Action Plan (File No. DEO26-27314). On 10/15/2026, Resolution No. 2026-869 moved $4,122,523 from the Utilities Services Tax Fund, the Stormwater Service Assessment Fund, the Housing Program Fund, the Local Option Gas Tax Fund and the General Fund, on a Miranda and Maniscalco motion that carried with Hurtak absent at the vote and Carlson absent (Resolution No. 2026-869).

Two record gaps are worth knowing in October 2026. The FY2027 budget document group on tampa.gov listed the millage and capital resolutions, both updated 10/16/2026, but no adopted budget ordinance, so the fund totals above are the recommended and hearing figures rather than a posted final ordinance (FY2027 Budget documents). The two resolutions are also filed under names with a meeting date of 10_22_2026, while their signed pages are stamped September 22, 2026 (City of Tampa). The signed stamp is the adoption date this guide uses.

The City of Tampa Budget Office, at 306 East Jackson Street, Tampa, Florida 33602, phone (813) 274-3333, is the contact listed on the city budget page, which links the FY2027 recommended book (City of Tampa Budget page).

Michael D. Perry is listed as Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the Budget Office (City of Tampa). The Budget Division of the Revenue and Finance Department prepares revenue and expenditure projections and target budgets, controls spending within approved appropriations, prepares budget resolutions and administers the Community Development Block Grant program (Budget Division).

For line level detail, the FY2027 document group posts separate files for positions and salaries, the line item budget, revenues and expenses by department and by fund, and governmental and enterprise outstanding debt, all updated 07/30/2026, plus the recommended book updated 08/21/2026 (City of Tampa FY2027 Budget documents). Paper copies of the proposed budget were offered at the City Clerk's Office, 3rd Floor, Old City Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (hearing notice).

Last verified: October 18, 2026, against the City of Tampa budget pages and FY2027 resolutions, Section 200.065 and the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser millage sheet.