Estero adopts $70.9M budget, keeps Florida’s lowest tax rate

Estero Village Council adopted a $70,938,016 budget for fiscal year 2025-26 while keeping the millage rate at 0.73 mills, the lowest property tax rate in Florida. Major Capital Improvement Projects include $27.3 million for parks and recreation, $13.4 million for utility improvements and $11.9 million for roadway upgrades, according to the village’s budget documents. The budget also maintains strong reserves and reflects Estero’s “government-lite” model, which emphasizes contracting services to control costs and provide flexibility.