TPA Highlights Infrastructure, Education, and Long-Term Planning as Key Budget Priorities
Vero Beach, FL – The Taxpayers Association of Indian River County has released its official 2025–2026 Budget Statements, reaffirming its commitment to fiscal responsibility, efficient governance, and long-term economic growth. Attached to this press release are the full statements approved by the Board of Directors.
“Our goal is to keep tax burdens low while investing strategically in the infrastructure and services needed to support our growing community,” said Lance Lunceford, President of the Taxpayers Association. “We want the best County, the best schools, and the best cities in America right here in Indian River County. That is the standard of excellence we strive for.”
Indian River County: Economic Prosperity Requires Smart Investments & Fiscal
Responsibility Today
The Association recommends maintaining the General Fund millage at 3.5475 mils and supports reducing the Land Acquisition Bond millage to 0.0610 mils. It emphasized the importance of proactively investing in infrastructure, noting the significant cost escalation if deferred. The Association determined that repaving costs approximately $240,000 per mile today but can exceed $1 million per mile if roads are neglected. It further
determined that it would be open to considering an increase in the M.S.T.U. if additional funds are required for this area. While the Association’s preference is to maintain the existing millage rates, it underscored the imperative of investing in infrastructure now to decrease future costs and safeguard the County’s long-term growth.
The Association also supports expanding the Building Department to address high permitting demand and promote economic development, determining this to be the most critical investment to improve the pace of permitting. It further recognized the County’s initiatives to establish an AI Taskforce and adopt zero-based budgeting as forward-looking measures that will ultimately create more efficiency in services toward residents.
For Fire & Rescue, the Association endorsed the move to adopt a 3-week Kelly schedule and determined that transitioning to a 42-hour workweek by 2030 would be optimal. It concluded that while the cost would be approximately $9 million more from a 3-week Kelly schedule, a gradual approach to reach a 42-hour workweek by 2030 would allow the cost to be absorbed sustainably. The Association further determined that it supports future increases to the Emergency Services District millage if necessary to achieve this transition, since that tax
revenue can only be dedicated toward Emergency Services spending.
The Association concluded that the proposed budget balances fiscal restraint with targeted investments. It determined that the 2025-2026 budget safeguards taxpayers today while preparing Indian River County for the next century of growth.
School District Budget: Excellence in Public Education is Critical
The Association’s recommendations for the School District of Indian River County focus on promoting educational excellence while ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparency. The Association determined that public education is a vital, core function of government that must be upheld with excellence to prepare the next generation of Americans for success.
The Association determined that continued investment in workforce development within education is a major priority, concluding that these efforts are essential to ensure graduates are prepared for success in high-demand fields after graduation.
The Association praised the District for maintaining the total millage rate at 5.753 mils, finding that any increase in taxpayers’ bills stems from property value growth rather than higher millage rates. It also commended District leadership for reducing administrative costs, maintaining an A rating, and paying down debt despite challenging funding conditions arising from the Family Empowerment Scholarship program.
The Association further determined that while it supports the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a tool for parental choice, a clearer understanding of where these dollars are spent would strengthen both school choice and public education. Accordingly, the Association recommended that state leaders continue refining the program’s accountability measures to ensure transparency while maintaining limited government intervention in parental education decisions.
Municipalities: Vero, Sebastian & Fellsmere must Bolster Operations
The Association addressed the challenges facing the Cities of Sebastian and Fellsmere, both experiencing significant growth. It determined that prudent local government must ensure that the infrastructure needed to provide high-quality services is in place before new residents move to a region. The Association further determined that north county communities must have the necessary resources to maintain essential services such as parks, stormwater management, policing, beautification, code enforcement, and city planning as populations
continue to surge.
Additionally, the Association issued a stern review of the City of Vero Beach’s audit mishap but determined that city leaders acted with transparency and openness in working with the Association through its Vero Audit Taskforce in response to the situation. The Association found that the City has been operating under a “skeleton crew,” which created systemic inefficiencies and urged City leadership to bolster operations to ensure such failures are not repeated.
The Association made it clear that it supports limited government but cannot support dysfunction where operations are so constrained that basic tasks cannot be performed effectively. It concluded that the City of Vero Beach has no choice but to raise its millage rate, supporting an increase up to a maximum of 2.9816 mils to fund a new financial software system and add critical positions needed to stabilize city operations.
A Century of Stewardship, A Future of Opportunity
As Indian River County celebrated its Centennial, the Association reaffirmed the importance of long-term planning and fiscal prudence, pointing out that our Centennial year reminds us of the importance of building wisely for future generations. The Taxpayers Association ended its County Budget Statement by encouraging elected officials to govern with the same commitment toward fiscal responsibility, efficient government, and high quality of life that helped define the first ‘century of paradise’ for Indian River County.
