Mobile County Releases Budget

The Mobile County Commission approved its Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund budget of $226,446,358 at its regular meeting on September 22, reflecting a 2% increase over the previous year to meet rising expenses for operations, staffing, appropriations and capital equipment. As in past years, Public Safety is the largest General Fund expenditure at 47%, which includes funding for the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Jail, Strickland Youth Center, Court Police, Community Corrections, and subsidies to the courts and district attorney’s offices. The commission says retaining and recruiting employees remains a priority and gave employees a 2.5% cost-of-living increase and again absorbed a 4.7% increase in health insurance premiums. Additional highlights of the budget include a new spay-and-neuter program for the Mobile County Animal Shelter; increased staffing for the expanding Mobile County Parks System, with Cypress Creek Golf Course at Riviére du Chien Park and the Mobile County Aquatic Center expected to open during the fiscal year; additional support for sports tourism, including sponsoring the “Super 7” state football championship; and additional economic incentives supporting workforce development and industry partnerships.