Manatee County's budget can feel like a black box: millage rates, fund balances, required versus discretionary spending. On this episode of Chambers, Changes & Conversations, we open it up with Interim CFO Claudia Campos and Robyn Faucy, President and CEO of Results 1st.

This spring, the County ran a series of Budget 101 workshops to help residents understand how their tax dollars are spent. We break down how the budget actually works: what's required by law versus what's discretionary, how the millage rate gets set, and where your property tax dollar really goes.

We also walk through what's happening at the state level with the property tax measure headed to November's ballot - purely informational,, just what's in it and what to watch for. Whether you've never been to a public budget session or just want to understand a b ...