Photo by Christopher Collier
Gulfport City Council approved the City’s fiscal year 2027 operating budget Sept. 15 after lengthy debate and several amendments affecting tree funding, council compensation, a vacant Leisure Services position, and Flock license-plate-reading cameras.
Council first approved Ordinance 2026-09, keeping the property tax rate at 4.0258 mills. The Flock discussion came during the second reading of Ordinance 2026-10, which set the City’s FY27 operating budget.
The Flock amendment removed $9,000 in camera funding from the budget in a 3-2 vote.
Tree Funding Debated
Trees were another concern for Council. Vice Mayor Marlene Shaw moved to restore the tree budget to $30,000, saying the City’s failure to spend the full amount the previous year reflected capacity and timing rather than a lack of demand.
“The need is real,” Shaw said. “We are also managing an aging canopy.”
The motion died for lack of a second.
Residents continued raising concerns about Gulfport’s tree canopy during public comment. A later amendment added $5,000 to the existing tree budget and passed 3-2. During the final budget recap, Council confirmed the resulting tree allocation was $20,000.
[Read more below]
That’s not all that happened at the Sept. 15 Gulfport City Council meeting. Read about Flock cameras, and other approvals.
Council Rejects Cost-of-Living Increase
Council unanimously declined a proposed 4% cost-of-living increase for its members.
Then they voted 3-2 to zero out funding for a Leisure Services director position that had gone unfilled for more than 10 years. Council clarified that the funding was being removed, but the position itself would remain available.
After the amendments, Council approved the FY27 budget.
The next Gulfport City Council meeting is Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.
Keep Your Community Local: Donate Now To Support Us
Donate now to support The Gabber Newspaper. The owners of the paper take no income from the paper. Every penny donated helps keep your community news hyperlocal. And everyone who earns their living working at The Gabber Newspaper lives in Gulfport and St. Petersburg. Most of our freelancers live here, too. We support our community; please support us.
The Gabber Newspaper? Yeah, We Go There.
Did you know: In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
Get all your Gulfport and Tampa Bay beaches news and things to do at thegabber.com.
