On Tuesday, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (District) Governing Board adopted a $251.5 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2027, including $86.2 million in Cooperative Funding Initiatives and District grants for water resources projects.
The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality. Some of the key initiatives in the District’s FY2027 budget include:
- $77.3 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.
- $28.5 million for the improvement and management of critical flood control and water conservation structures, canals, culverts and levees.
- $7.7 million for surface water restoration initiatives and water quality improvement projects to treat stormwater runoff before discharging directly or indirectly to water bodies.
- $4.8 million for watershed management planning and implementation of projects to address potential and existing flooding issues.
Through cooperative funding partnerships, the District will leverage funds for a total regional investment of more than $160 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects.
For FY2027, the District’s Governing Board has adopted a millage rate of 0.1831 mill, which effectively allocates resources in support of mission critical functions such as flood control infrastructure.
For every $100,000 in taxable property value, the District property tax would be $18.31 a year, or about $1.53 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.