City Manager announced the first public hearing on the city's balanced budget set for Sept. 9 and said pending ratification secures negotiated agreements with the police and fire unions.

At a budget workshop, city staff said they are rebidding insurance, running new health-plan scenarios and tightening department budgets to build reserves in case a November state property-tax change reduces local revenue. A hiring freeze and paused merit increases are among tools under consideration.

At a July 7 special and work session, Tarpon Springs commissioners authorized the city manager to sign DR‑420 at a millage rate of 5.37%, and heard a draft FY27 budget that includes an 18% placeholder for health insurance, no COLA or new positions and potential reserve impacts if a property‑tax referendum passes.

At a June 25 budget workshop, the City of Tarpon Springs reviewed a draft budget (general fund roughly $38M) and warned a referenced statewide property-tax reform could cut local revenue by an estimated $3.3M in FY2028 and $5.5M in FY2029; commissioners scheduled a July 7 session for detailed cuts and public outreach.

Staff told the Tarpon Springs Budget Advisory Board that county projections for a proposed property-tax reform could reduce city general-fund revenue by about $3.3 million in the first full year after implementation and by larger amounts thereafter; staff outlined cuts, hiring freezes, and an accelerated budget calendar.