Budget Blockade — Mayor Dennington’s Power Play

Mayor Dennington continues to block passage of the Town budget by refusing to cooperate with the process.

Our small Town of Melbourne Beach has held five public workshops on the proposed 2027 budget — yet Mayor Dennington continues to refuse her support. In her usual fashion, she does not offer any solutions. She spends more time on insignificant minutiae like how many columns there are on the report and updated job descriptions rather than attempting to understand the actual budget. As a result, she continues to delay the budget process.

The main function of the Town Commission is to review and pass the proposed budget as prepared by the Town Manager and Finance Director. A consensus for changes to line items in the proposed budget can be made by the Commission.

Last night marked the FIFTH‍ budget workshop. Town Manager Marie Smith started the budget discussion by stating the changes that were requested from the previous workshop and asked if there were any questions.

In true Dennington style, the Mayor used her platform to go off on a lengthy tangent that had nothing to do with the Manager’s budget presentation, nor did she have a question about any of the revisions.

At that point, Vice Mayor Terry Cronin, who attended virtually, directly asked Mayor Dennnington, since she did not have any questions for the Town Manager, was she ready to approve the Town budget… her response was “no”.

Exhausted Town staff, Commissioners and frustrated citizens all stated that the proposed budget, as presented, was thoroughly addressed and ready for approval. It’s important to note that the 2027 proposed budget keeps the Town’s millage rate unchanged from 2026 with no planned tax increase.

Questions are circulating about the Mayor’s motive for a rollback. Some residents are asking whether Dennington’s continuous opposition to approving the proposed budget may be connected to her personal property holdings in Melbourne Beach. Please note: Mayor Alison Dennington and Dr. Lephiew Dennington own four homes in the Town of Melbourne Beach. These concerns have become a focal point for neighbors wondering whether personal interests are influencing the budget impasse.

Residents are demanding clarity. They want a legitimate explanation of Mayor Dennington's objections. The Town is facing crucial time constraints to pass the budget. The impasse is twofold. 1. Dennington has stated that she will not support the budget; 2. Commissioner Reed has stated that he will ONLY support the budget IF monies are inappropriately moved from the Paid Parking Funds to the General Fund. Finance Director, Jennifer Kerr, has clarified that the State of Florida has specific requirements for the appropriation of the Ocean Park parking funds.

What is at stake is more important than the Mayor’s obsession with the placement of columns in the budget report. Mayor Dennington’s inability to comprehend the actual budget will not only prolong the process by requiring additional workshops, but could delay public services and projects that the Commission has prioritized.

Most residents are aware that the millage rate in the Town of Melbourne Beach is the lowest of all beachside communities along the Space Coast. We live in a very small town with full independent services from our own Police Department and Fire Department that are funded by our Town budget. The Town budget also pays for all roads, park maintenance including playgrounds, tennis and pickleball courts, volleyball, bocci and other recreation, as well as the infrastructure for stormwater and seawalls. Our town operates under a very tight budget to serve the residents with a quality of life that we all love about living here.

Please write to the Commission members to voice your support of approving the current proposed budget with the 4.6 millage rate. Email addresses are posted on the Town website. Go to: www.melbournebeachfl.org