Neptune Beach will operate with seven fewer budgeted positions in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, according to the city's adopted FY 2026-27 budget.

City-wide staffing drops from 125 positions to 118. The largest reductions fall on Public Works and the Ocean Rescue program, while Parks & Sustainability is the only department adding headcount.


Public Works (Administration & Streets) shrinks from 14 budgeted positions to 10. The budget eliminates five positions: project manager, city engineer, Parks & Sustainability supervisor, mechanic/crew chief and maintenance technician. It adds one Laborer II position, for a net reduction of four.

The budget notes that the city engineer role remains "authorized and allocated within the department's FTE count but not funded in FY26-27." The department's total operating cost edges down from about $1.83 million to $1.80 million.

The budget does not state a rationale for the reductions.

Lifeguard ranks trimmed

The Ocean Rescue/Beach Cleanup division drops from 24 to 22 budgeted positions. Seasonal and part-time lifeguard slots fall from 20 to 18. The four full-time spots, one captain and three lieutenants, stay unchanged.

Despite the smaller roster, the division's total budget rises slightly from about $339,662 to $353,342, driven by higher personnel costs.

Parks & Sustainability triples staff

Parks & Sustainability, led by Director Colin Moore, grows from one budgeted position to three. The department adds a project manager and a laborer for FY 2026-27. A portion of Moore's salary is allocated to the city's Paid Parking and Tourist District funds, the budget states.

The department's total budget, including capital, falls from about $1.79 million to $982,383. Capital outlay for non-building improvements drops from $1.23 million to $585,000.

Other shifts across city departments

Utilities see mixed changes. The Water division adds a part-time wastewater operator and a utility laborer, growing from five to six positions. The Sewer division loses one wastewater operator, dropping from seven to six. Stormwater adds a new division chief, rising from two to three positions.

Information Technology loses its GIS administrator position, falling from three to two. Like the city engineer, that role remains authorized but unfunded.

Paid Parking holds at five total positions but adds a paid parking manager while cutting one part-time Beaches Ambassador slot.

Police budget tops $6.9 million

The Police Department/Public Safety budget totals $6,962,056 for FY 2026-27, up from $6,191,609 the prior year. Retirement contributions jump from about $441,398 to $1,191,400. Special pay rises from $45,000 to $185,000.

The budget also creates a Neptune Beach Tourist District Fund, described as a new special revenue fund for utilizing Tourist Development Tax dollars.

City Manager Richard Pike oversaw preparation of the budget. The document lists Mayor Cori Bylund and council members Nia Livingston, Tim Horvath, Brent Rogers and Josh Messinger as the city's elected officials.

The budget does not include the date or vote by which the council adopted it.