2009 REVISED Property Tax Information
With property taxes as the major funding source for local services and education in Florida, the Florida Association of Counties has compiled proposed property tax numbers for counties across the state to reflect the reductions and changes that have occurred the past three years.
Counties primarily provide public safety, fire, emergency medical services, public record-keeping, jails, parks, libraries, health care, economic development, comprehensive planning, and roads, just to name a few.
Three major factors have impacted property taxes in Florida over the last three years: the decline in property values, the implementation of the roll back rates (2007) and Amendment 1 (2008). This year alone counties have reduced revenue by more than $848 million[1]. In three years, that reduction totals $1.6 Billion or 14%[2]. These reductions have resulted in major workforce cuts as well as cuts to all levels of service.
With property taxes influenced by the decline in property values as well as previous changes to the property tax system, 2009-10 property tax revenues are just slightly above 2005-2006 revenues (see next chart). If current economic trends continue, counties will remain near or below 2005-2006 revenue levels until 2014[3].
The above chart also reflects actual property tax revenue numbers in comparison to the guidelines established by the Legislature in 2007[4]. This chart clearly outlines that economic conditions and existing property tax changes will realign property tax revenues with the trend lines established by the Legislature.
This year 51 counties (76%) will collect less property tax revenue and 16 counties (24%) will collect more property tax revenue than in 2008-09[5]. Of those 51 counties, 17 of them have reduced their tax revenue by greater than 10%. Of the 16 counties, only 1 will collect more than a 5% increase.
If you were to look at these numbers in comparison to the statutory rollback rate, you would see that 58 counties are below the rollback rate, 2 counties met the rollback rate and 7 counties exceeded the rollback rate[6].
Florida’s strength is in her diversity and her counties paint that picture. While every county has made reductions over the last three years, each has done so in a manner that serves the unique community they represent.
The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) is committed to not only serving our members but providing our legislative partners with accurate and critical information needed to make ongoing tax decisions. It is clear that counties, just as the state, have been forced by many factors to make dramatic reductions and they have done so accordingly.
*This report is based off of 56 counties final DR-422 form as provided to the Florida Department of Revenue. As of the publish date, 11 counties had not submitted that form and their numbers continue to be based of their preliminary property tax form DR-420. Those counties are: Brevard, Desoto, Duval, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Pinellas, and Saint Lucie.
2009 Preliminary Property Tax Report
If you would like to review the preliminary data released by FAC in October 2009, please
click here.
Historical Property Tax Information
2008
2007
[1] Data for 56 of Florida’s counties is based off of their final property tax data submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue on Form-DR422. Data for the remaining 11 counties is based off of their preliminary property tax report submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue on Form DR-420.
[2] Historical data for County Ad Valorem Tax Levies provided by LCIR Florida County Tax Profile 1999-2008.
[3] Future estimates of County Ad Valorem Levies use a combination of data provided by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research for Change in Taxable Values and New Construction Values. Future estimates of County Ad Valorem Levies assume no change in the proposed "aggregate statewide millage rate" of 6.6029.
[4] Historical and future estimates of population and change in personal per capita income provided by data from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. Historical and future estimates of the "capped" trend line were calculated by applying the combined change in population and per capita personal income against the total amount of taxes levied in the previous year. This calculation does not take into account any other factors used in the traditional calculation of millage rates and ad valorem tax levies. Additionally, the estimates do not take into account any other changes in Florida Ad Valorem law.
[5] The 11 counties, based on preliminary data (DR-420), may increase the reduction in property taxes if they adopt a lower millage rate than the proposed millage rate in the final budget hearing.
[6] The 11 counties whose data is based off of the preliminary property tax report (DR-420) may adopt a lower millage rate than the proposed millage rate in the final budget hearing.