The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved on Apr. 15 a new approach to funding nonprofit and social service programs for the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget.
The change aims to focus taxpayer spending on essential government services and reduce overlap with private sector activities. The county will discontinue the Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB) funding model, which previously involved a committee reviewing applications from nonprofits across the county.
Under the new system, medical program funding will be directed through the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County (FDOH-MC), while core service and special needs programs will be funded through Monroe County Community Services (MCCS). Funding amounts for these areas will be determined during the upcoming budget process. The commission also plans to define what qualifies as a special-needs category under MCCS.
“This approach allows us to focus on what local government is fundamentally responsible for, while reducing overlap and funding for non-county functions,” said Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley. “By working directly with the Department of Health and strengthening our Community Services programs, we can fund the most important core services.”
County staff began aligning its budget with guidance from Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Fiscal Year 2026, continuing into FY27. DOGE guidance requires local governments to analyze discretionary spending, eliminate duplication between public programs and private sector offerings, and prioritize legally mandated services. This year, Florida passed legislation requiring local governments to identify mandatory or legally obligated programs during their budgeting process.
Looking ahead, starting with the FY28 budget cycle, counties must conduct an annual analysis identifying ways to reduce budgets by ten percent each year and make budgets available online for public transparency. Past budgets as well as information about upcoming timelines are accessible at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/budget.
