City Council Approves the City’s 976M Budget for FY 2026

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City Council Approves the City’s $976 Million Budget for Fiscal Year 2026

FY 2026 Budget Prioritizes Strengthening City Infrastructure & Ensuring Long-Term Resilience

October 6, 2025 - St. Petersburg City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget of $976,228,519 for the City of St. Petersburg at the second Budget Public Hearing held at City Hall. The Fiscal Year 2026 budget began on Oct. 1, 2025. The annual budget process allows the City of St. Petersburg to allocate resources to its key priorities while ensuring it can continue to provide daily services effectively.

"The personnel, programs, services, and infrastructure funded in the Fiscal Year 2026 City Budget reflects our City's continued commitment to building a diverse, resilient, and vibrant St. Petersburg," said Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. "Guided by the principles of fiscal responsibility, intentional inclusivity, and equitable investment, this budget supports initiatives that strengthen our resiliency, foster innovation, and create opportunity for all who call our city home. I look forward to working in partnership with City Council and our community as we work to implement this budget."

The budget process has centered on ensuring the City's resources are deployed within Mayor Kenneth T. Welch's five Pillars For Progress: Housing Opportunities for All; Environment, Infrastructure, and Resilience; Equitable Development, Arts, and Business Opportunities; Education and Youth Opportunities; and Neighborhood Health and Safety.

This year's budget also prioritizes strengthening the City's infrastructure in response to climate change impacts. As a coastal city, we are acutely at-risk from the effects of climate change and sea level rise. In 2024, the region was impacted by three hurricanes and in response the City developed a comprehensive program called the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) Program. SPAR is focused on accelerating an approach to strengthen the City's infrastructure and ensuring long-term resilience in the face of climate changes. A full list of SPAR projects is available at www.StPete.org/SPAR .

The Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Program budget totals $202 million and contains funding for projects to protect our environment and improve our City's infrastructure. The budget for the Public Works Administration is $352.4 million and encompasses five departments. The Public Works Administration departments' budget reflect the City's commitment to improving our infrastructure, maintaining assets, and preparing for the future.

OTHER FY 2026 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Housing Opportunities For All

Housing and Community Development Department Operating Budget ($9.7 million)

Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan for Affordable Housing Land Acquisition ($6 million)

Housing Capital Improvement Fund ($1,124,000)

Social Action Grants ($700,000)

Rapid Rehousing ($400,000)

Childhood Homelessness Project ($260,000)

Pinellas Hope ($215,000)

Pinellas Safe Harbor ($150,000)

St. Vincent DePaul ($148,633)

Westcare Turning Point ($125,000)

Neighborly Care Network – Meals on Wheels ($100,000)

Pinellas Homeless Leadership Alliance ($25,000)

Environment, Infrastructure, and Resilience

Public Works Administration Operating Budget ($352.4 million)

Water Reclamation Facilities Improvements projects ($42.9 million)

Lift Station Improvements projects ($25.675 million)

Water Distribution System Improvements projects ($23 million)

Bartlett Lake/Salt Creek Pump Station ($14 million)

St. Pete Agile Resilience projects ($9.85 million)

Street and Road Improvements ($7.5 million)

Local-Scale Stormwater Mitigation Projects ($5 million)

Sidewalks ($2.7 million)

62nd Ave. N Stormwater System Resiliency Improvements ($1.5 million)

Complete Streets ($1.1 million)

Equitable Development, Arts, and Business Opportunities

Arts Grants Program ($557,000)

Small Business Grants and Programs ($250,000)

The Palladium ($250,000)

Main Street Business Organizations ($220,000)

Citywide Workforce Development Programming ($200,000)

St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation ($150,000)

The Greenhouse ($150,000)

Woodson African American Museum of Florida ($107,000)

Corporate Relocation and Expansion ($100,000)

Grow Smarter Economic and Workforce Development Incentives Program ($100,000)

Florida Orchestra ($100,000)

Teak Job Creation Incentive ($100,000)

St. Petersburg Museum of History ($75,000)

Individual Artist Grants ($60,000)

Arts Conservatory for Teens ($50,000)

Arts Micro-Grants ($50,000)

Localtopia ($50,000)

Business Recruitment Event Aid ($40,000)

Sister City Initiative ($40,000)

Qualified Target Industry Commitments ($30,000)

Soul Fest ($20,000)

Poetry Festival ($10,000)

Education and Youth Opportunities

Mayor’s Future Ready Academy ($500,000)

Year-Round Youth Employment Programs ($400,000)

Youth Development Grants including Boys & Girls Club ($250,000)

Cohort of Champions/My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper program ($234,320)

Junior Achievement Class Sponsorship ($45,000)

Literacy and STEAM programs including:

Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation ($250,000)

USF Science Center at Clam Bayou ($100,000)

Education and Youth Opportunities Community Grants ($80,000)

USF Camp Bulls Eye ($68,750)

SPC CAMP ($32,000)

Neighborhood Health and Safety

Police Department ($173.7 million)

Fire Rescue Department ($49.5 million)

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fund ($25 million)

Body Worn Camera, Fleet in-car video, Taser, and Drone programs ($3.3 million)

Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) Program ($1.7 million)

Healthy St. Pete Initiative ($1.1 million)

Eight Additional Firefighter/Paramedics ($887,172)

Community Impact Grants & Programs ($325,000)

Healthy Neighborhood Store Program ($245,000)

Neighborhood Enhancement Program ($225,000)

Healthy Food Action Plan ($122,000)

Community Food Grants Program ($100,000)

Mayor's Tree Mini-Grant ($100,000)

Neighborhood Partnership Matching Grants ($35,000)

Mayor's Mini-Grant ($15,000)

Storm Drain Markings and Drains to the Bay Program ($15,000)

Keep Pinellas Beautiful ($15,000)

The adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget was preceded by a long budget review and approval process, including the first Budget Public Hearing on September 11, 2025, where City Council adopted the tentative FY26 City Budget and millage rate, and the Budget Open House held on April 14, 2025, where the public was invited to learn about the proposed budget and share their thoughts and priorities with the Mayor and City officials. Suggestions received at the Budget Open House significantly influenced the recommended version of the budget submitted to City Council on July 15, 2025. More information on the FY26 City Budget can be found at www.stpete.org/budget .