Budget Workshop - August 20, 2026

The Broward County Government held a budget workshop on August 20, 2026, focusing extensively on the Terminal 5 program at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and related aviation budget matters. The meeting detailed the significant cost escalations of the Terminal 5 project, which has increased from an initial estimate of $306 million in 2021 to $829 million as of 2026, driven by design finalization, inflation, and construction schedule extensions. The county has partnered with JetBlue as the program developer, with JetBlue managing contracts and reimbursements. The workshop also covered the negotiation and near-finalization of new seven-year airline lease and use agreements with eight signatory carriers, which include provisions for resetting preferential gate assignments annually, increasing the capital project approval threshold from $150,000 to $15 million without airline consent, and establishing new reserve accounts to stabilize rates and charges. The agreements are designed to support ongoing and future capital improvements, including the automated people mover system and terminal expansions, with a total capital budget of $152 million for FY27. The county emphasized maintaining competitive landing fees and international processing charges to attract carriers, with airline rates projected to decrease in FY27. The agreements and budget will be brought to the commission for approval on September 10, 2026. Additionally, the workshop briefly addressed other airport projects, funding sources including state and federal contributions, and operational budget changes. No formal votes were taken during this workshop, but consensus was sought on continuing certain programs and moving forward with the agreements.