Fiscal Recklessness:
Commission Keeps Raising Your Taxes
September 12, 2025
The Town of Melbourne Beach is neck deep in budget talks. A major long-term expense looms: six full-time firefighters. By Florida law, the budget must be approved by September 30 for the fiscal year starting October 1. Based on current projections, your taxes will rise 33% over the next five years—excluding additional costs for stormwater or roads.
It’s September, and we’re on the 10th budget version, still shifting hundreds of thousands of dollars. Town staff work hard, but they lack clear direction from the commission. The fire department issue has been ignored for 25+ years, but in 2025 the commission had five months to research alternatives after the fire chief raised the need in February. Instead, they voted 4–1 to pursue six full-time firefighters through a SAFER grant, without clarifying that hiring would depend on receiving it. Worse, they never discussed how to fund the positions once the grant ends in three years. Would we really fire them then, as two commissioners suggested?
Budget maneuvers raise further concerns: stormwater funds raided, new funds created without approval, a 4.60 millage rate submitted without a vote, $200,000 shuffled between accounts, and “Excel errors” misallocating hundreds of thousands. The Town underestimates ad valorem revenue by $90,000, yet doesn’t confirm if it’s collected. Road repaving is budgeted at $52,000 per mile (check Google). Raises of 10% were given to some favored employees for “work ethic,” while the rest received 3%.
Projections adding six firefighters, SAFER grant funds, and a conservative 5% inflation rate will push taxes 45% higher than 2025 taxes. This excludes stormwater, road paving, Town Hall repairs, or fire hall renovations, all of which will raise costs further. A comparison with CPI or COLA since 2022 shows just how far beyond cost-of-living increases our taxes have grown—a direct result of commission choices.
There are only 2 candidates running for commission with a proven track record demonstrating FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND AUSTERITY:
