City of Melbourne Budget — Melbourne, Florida

The City of Melbourne's final budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 totals $422,701,488, according to Resolution No. 4437, the adopting resolution posted on the city's Budget page after the September 2026 hearings. The General Fund, which carries most daily city services in Melbourne, is set at $118,626,669. The city's fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30, so this budget governs spending from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

The total is larger than the operating budget most residents think of. The fund summary in Exhibit A shows $141,298,903 in Capital Improvement Funds, $77,409,050 for the Water and Sewer enterprise, and an Airport Fund of $51,699,298 for Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Smaller funds include Risk Management at $5,060,844, the Pavement Management Program Fund at $4,189,257, the Golf Course Fund at $3,977,550, the Machinery and Equipment Fund at $3,692,842, the Stormwater Utility at $3,195,000 and the Debt Service Fund at $2,528,278.

Federal and state housing grants appear as their own Melbourne special revenue funds: SHIP at $616,051, CDBG at $611,306 and HOME at $243,926 for fiscal year 2026-2027. The Building Dept. Fund, at $2,426,500, and Workers' Compensation, at $2,504,400, round out the list. Dividing the General Fund by the 88,499 residents counted by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research in 2025, as cited on the city's About page, gives roughly $1,340 per resident.

Property taxes are the largest single source of funding for City of Melbourne operations, according to the city's property tax amendment page. For fiscal year 2026-2027 the council levied 6.9473 mills for the General Operating Fund under Resolution No. 4436, on a gross taxable value of $9,172,575,549 certified by the Brevard County Property Appraiser. The rate details, and how a homestead bill is built, are covered on the Melbourne property tax page in this series.

The same Melbourne page lists the services that draw on that revenue: police and fire; hurricane response and recovery, including clearing roads, repairing traffic signals, providing sandbags and removing residential disaster debris; roadway and sidewalk maintenance; park maintenance; recreation centers with programming for children, adults and seniors; athletic fields, pools and tennis and pickleball courts; and community events, including MelBOOM, the annual 4th of July fireworks celebration.

Two Melbourne capital funds tied to recurring needs also moved in September. In the September 2026 revisions, the Pavement Management Program Fund received a net increase of $41,728 and the Machinery and Equipment Fund a net increase of $36,783, according to Resolution No. 4437. Water and sewer, stormwater, golf and airport operations in Melbourne each carry their own fund in Exhibit A, separate from the General Fund.

The work starts with the City Manager. The City Manager's Office states that the City Manager, Jenni Lamb as of October 2026, prepares a budget for the Council's consideration. After review by staff and the City Manager, the Melbourne City Council reviews the proposed budget during one or more workshops during the summer, and the preliminary budget is available on the city website for public review during August and September before adoption. In 2026 the council held its budget workshop on July 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Last verified: October 8, 2026, on the City of Melbourne website.

State law frames the calendar. Section 166.241 of the Florida Statutes requires every municipality to use a fiscal year beginning October 1, to adopt a budget each fiscal year, and to post the tentative budget on its official website at least 5 days before the budget hearing. Melbourne City Council adopts the budget in September after two public hearings, held pursuant to Florida Statute, which provide an opportunity for public comment. For fiscal year 2026-2027 those hearings fell on September 9 and September 23, 2026.

The final numbers moved between the two Melbourne hearings. Exhibit A shows a City Manager's proposed total of $369,368,494. Revisions recommended for September 9 added $52,334,405, nearly all of it the $51,699,298 Airport Fund that was not in the proposed figure, and revisions for September 23 added $998,589, chiefly $710,199 in the Capital Improvement Funds. The General Fund grew from a proposed $117,903,184 by $528,485 and then $195,000 to reach its final amount.

Adoption in September is not the last word. The Melbourne Budget page explains that portions of the budget may be amended during the fiscal year by Council through formal resolutions during Council meetings, and it posts each amendment by meeting date. Quarterly reviews are the routine vehicle: in fiscal year 2026 the council adopted Resolution No. 4401, the 1st Quarter Budget Review, on February 10, 2026; Resolution No. 4420, the 2nd Quarter Budget Review, on June 9, 2026; and Resolution No. 4443, the 3rd Quarter Budget Review, on September 23, 2026.

Project amendments show where Melbourne capital money goes. The fiscal year 2026 list includes Resolution No. 4405 for Biosolids Process Improvements, Project No. 33519, and Resolution No. 4434 for Water Production Facility Improvements, Project No. 31320, adopted September 9, 2026. Fiscal year 2025 amendments included Resolution No. 4298 for the Crane Creek Golf Course Cart Barn Electric project, Resolution No. 4346 for the Melbourne Southwest Trail, Project No. 85421, and Resolution No. 4362 for the Espanola Baffle Box, Project No. 20120.

Amendments marked with an asterisk on the Melbourne Budget page include changes for a community redevelopment area, which keeps CRA spending visible inside the city's amendment record. Copies of signed amendments are available from the Budget Office at 321-608-7830.

Melbourne's two community redevelopment areas adopt separate budgets at the same September hearings. For fiscal year 2026-2027 the Melbourne Downtown CRA Fund budget is $3,284,952 and the Olde Eau Gallie Riverfront CRA Fund budget is $1,336,662, after September increases of $81,688 and $39,813, according to Resolution No. 4437.

The money comes from tax increment financing. The city's Community Redevelopment Areas page explains that as property values inside a CRA rise above the base year, the CRA captures the increase into a redevelopment trust fund, and the tax increment is only collected from the general fund millage rates charged by the City of Melbourne and Brevard County. School Board and special district taxes are not affected, and the funds must be spent within the targeted area rather than on general government. A third district, the Babcock Street CRA, reached its sunset date on September 9, 2024.

Spending is reported after the year closes in an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The City of Melbourne posts its 2025, 2024 and 2023 reports along with separate annual financial reports for the Melbourne Downtown CRA and the Olde Eau Gallie CRA, and states that the ACFR is filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services. City finances are audited annually by independent auditors, and the city reports that it consistently receives national awards from the Government Finance Officers Association for its financial reporting.

The next budget cycle carries a known risk. The City of Melbourne estimates that if Amendment 3 is approved on November 3, 2026, the city would face a funding gap of approximately $10.1 million in FY2028 and an additional $4.9 million in FY2029, a combined $15 million in the operating budget, based on 2026 tax roll data. The city says it is reviewing three responses: an increase in other taxes, fees or charges for services, a decrease in service levels, or a combination of both, and staff presented the revenue impact to the Melbourne City Council on June 9, 2026.