County staff presented a proposed $540,000,000 county budget with a $176,000,000 general fund, a 3.5% cost-of-living increase for employees and targeted investments in roads and capital projects; a motion to adopt an amending resolution was moved but no vote is recorded in the transcript.

County Administrator Steve Howard and Interim Budget Director Barbara Luckum presented a $544,000,000 recommended budget with $11.3 million in reductions, new CIP investments and a proposed tentative rollback millage; the board voted to set the general fund at the rollback rate and directed staff to refine cuts before Sept. 10.

At a July 16 budget workshop, Citrus County commissioners debated whether to hold the current millage or implement a previously directed rollback, raising concerns about reserve levels and a multimillion-dollar roads backlog. Staff asked for clear direction to prepare a balanced preliminary budget for the July 22 hearing.