Property Tax Bills

[Smiling JOe]

... and we require virtually no services as non-residents....

When everyone comes to the beach at the same time ie peak season, the infrastucture has to be in place to handle the capacity. I know you are thinking on a larger picture of the total actual services used by you or your renters, but we desperately need sewer and roads, some places even water. Other programs are also needed. However, I know that the increase in taxes generated from the higher assessed valuations leaves much question as to how and where and why the extra money is needed. Even with increasing resources and services, I would think there would still be a large excess of tax money generated unless the millage is substantially lowered, which it is not. Maybe we are building that infrastructure in Freeport and Defuniak Springs, or 4 laining 331, Clyde Wells, Bridge? Good question Paula. It deserves some attention.

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

Remember, Florida has no state income tax. Property taxes are used by the state as well as by the county.

 

[Beach Runner]

Most people's assessed values are still under actual market prices in their area.

That's the way it has been everywhere we've lived, so that's not surprising to me. You want your tax appraisal low, and your real estate appraisal high, for obvious reasons.

 

[beachmouse]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were 4-5 times as many sheriff's officers in Walton County as there were ten years ago. Back then, staffing levels were scarily low, especially during the winter. And new commercial development requires more police service. Bigger, taller condos mean that the fire departments have to buy new trucks that can reach higher stories. A growing population means not only more roads, but also more drainage and wetlands issues. And I wouldn't be surprised if federal and state road funding required some sort of local match. County general funds as well as bed tax monies go to recreation services used by both locals and tourists. And these days, you really do have to think about increasing salaries of county employees to keep up with out of control housing cost increases.

Florida does have its own version of prop 13; it's just that it only applies to state residents' primary homes. Which from a macro standpoint is better because it will allow revenue growth to better keep up with increased demands for services and new duties demanded from state and local governments. California's state budget is catastrophically FUBAR'ed right now because of a combination of Prop 13 restrictions and mandatory funding of certain programs, while Floirda is in very good fiscal shape because they've got a system where revenue growth will be adequate to meet increased state needs.

 

[DBOldford]

More than 50% of FL homeowners pay virtually no property tax because of homestead exemption. The mobile home values fall below the threshold. So 50% of the owners are paying 100% of the load, and at least half of those are second home owners who have no homestead exemption protection. So 25% of FL's population is expected to come up with the big nut? Whatever happened to having some of these developers make their development "pay its own way?" And why are they not required to build some affordable housing to help with the workforce housing crisis? Time to get progressive.

Just talking with my brother tonight, who wasn't too concerned about the 58% property tax increase we are going to see in the new tax bills that go out tomorrow, mostly because he has homestead exemption and will see his property tax increased by a maximum of 3%. Who in the world thinks a 58% tax increase in one year is reasonable on any level? I predict mass revolt on this issue, the stuff that class action is made of. Yes, I am angry because this situation is blatantly inequitable to property owners who cannot vote but who are shouldering the majority of the load. I grew up in Walton County and I can say with reasonable certainty that people down there would never consider this kind of tax increase sane if it touched them at all.

 

[beachmouse]

Do you have a cite for those budget numbers? I'd be really interested to see a detailed breakdown since I couldn't find anything direct, just cites that about 10% of the state's population lives in trailers, and that the trailers make up 12% of the state's single family housing stock, not the half you seem to suggest. (http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/17/Homes/It_s_not_your_mother_.shtml) As of 2002, second homes reportedly accounted for 6.3 percent of homes in the state. (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_2002_June_1/ai_88679059) Call it maybe 10% these days because of the boomer influx, not 25%.

I agree that 58% is not reasonable. If the assessed value is going up that much, the millage rate should be rolled back more than it is.


In many areas, the developers are having to pay their way to some degree, with an impact fee that tops $10K per new single family home in some counties. Bay County is supposedly in the process of moving to impact fees for new develolment, though I'm not sure what level they were initially set to.

But too little, too late in a lot of ways, especially considering the billions and billions of un and underfunded projects in the queue, especially for roads and education, and impact fees for new construction are hardly going to cover it all. As for affordable housing, the money for it has to come from somewhere, and normally public funding is in that mix.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Does anyone on this board have or know where to access the breakdown on the numbers for the County's Budget?

 

[Kim Smith]

Do you have a cite for those budget numbers? I'd be really interested to see a detailed breakdown since I couldn't find anything direct, just cites that about 10% of the state's population lives in trailers, and that the trailers make up 12% of the state's single family housing stock, not the half you seem to suggest. (http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/17/Homes/It_s_not_your_mother_.shtml) As of 2002, second homes reportedly accounted for 6.3 percent of homes in the state. (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_2002_June_1/ai_88679059) Call it maybe 10% these days because of the boomer influx, not 25%.

I agree that 58% is not reasonable. If the assessed value is going up that much, the millage rate should be rolled back more than it is.


In many areas, the developers are having to pay their way to some degree, with an impact fee that tops $10K per new single family home in some counties. Bay County is supposedly in the process of moving to impact fees for new develolment, though I'm not sure what level they were initially set to.

But too little, too late in a lot of ways, especially considering the billions and billions of un and underfunded projects in the queue, especially for roads and education, and impact fees for new construction are hardly going to cover it all. As for affordable housing, the money for it has to come from somewhere, and normally public funding is in that mix.

I think you will be surprised at the increase of 2nd homes sales from 2002. I think 58% is not acceptable. The developers may be paying extra but, bottom line, it is the homeowners that are footing the bill. Do you think a builder is not going to incorporate those excees amounts into the price of his home and who is there paying that amount. The same people who are paying the 58% tax increase.

 

[hutch]

SJ - The county budget is public record. You should be able to get a copy from the commissioners office. Does anyone know what percentage of the tax money is paid to the state? An increase of 58% is going to create a hardship on many older fixed income people and locals that are only being paid low wages. That much increase in one year should have been spread over a three year period to make it easier on these people.

Impact fees for developers is a good idea, but they will only going to past the cost to the buyers.

 

[TooFarTampa]

There is no way the state will allow the county to not assess these properties significantly higher, and state law prevents the county from shielding non-homesteaded owners from such increases.

On one hand, people should have understood the law before they purchased. On another hand, realtors have not until recently been required to disclose the tax laws with buyers and the vast majority of realtors certainly did not do it on their own. Buyers had to ask the right questions, or hopefully retain a smart lawyer to help guide them.

We expected almost this exact increase, because we purchased last year and are familiar with Florida law. In fact, our new assessment is less than 80 percent of our purchase price from 2004, and nowhere close to what it could legitimately sell for now. But I can see why people who have owned for three-plus years and are not homesteaded are probably shocked.

I agree that the county is seeing a huge windfall and it's a good idea to pay attention to how that money is being spent. I also agree that the millage rate should be scaled back for at least a couple of years to cushion the blow. (Though here in Tampa it's close to 28 percent; ouch.) Depends I guess on how many of these tax dollars are earmarked for beach restoration efforts. That money has to come from somewhere.

I certainly hope they are hiring more building inspectors.