Cities Reach Property Tax Reduction Goals
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Florida Department of Revenue data confirms that municipalities met property tax cut targets as mandated by the Florida Legislature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2009
CONTACT: Sharon G. Berrian, (850) 222-9684
TALLAHASSEE – Data released by the Florida Department of Revenue has confirmed that Florida’s cities have met the property tax reduction goals for FY 2008-2009. The data compiled by the department, which includes the adopted property tax rates for 397 of Florida’s 411 cities, shows that on the whole, Florida’s cities have essentially met the property tax reduction goals mandated by the Legislature for city budgets approved by a simple majority vote.
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According to the data, 201 cities levied a property tax rate at or below the rate allowed with a simple majority vote of a city’s governing body, while 153 cities voted with a two-thirds majority allowing them to exceed the mandated amount by up to 10 percent. The governing bodies of only 43 cities voted unanimously to allow their cities to exceed the mandated amount by greater than 10 percent.
However, when you compare the total property tax dollars collected by all cities for FY 2008-09, Florida’s cities collectively met the tax reduction goals mandated by the Legislature for cities voting with a simple majority vote.
Florida League of Cities President Carmine Priore, vice mayor of Wellington, said he was pleased that cities met the high bar established by the Florida Legislature.
“This shows that Florida’s elected municipal officials are responding to the unique conditions faced by each individual city and its residents,” Priore said.
These developments grew out of an act of the Florida Legislature in 2007 to cap and rollback property tax rates in Florida cities. The legislation imposed new voting requirements on cities whose governing bodies elect to exceed such statutory caps in a given year.
The Florida League of Cities, Inc., is the official organization of the municipal governments (cities, towns, villages and chartered counties) in Florida, designed and established to meet and advocate the needs of Florida’s municipal officials.
Click on the following links to download the Department of Revenue Municipal Millage Compliance Chart and a Q&A document explaining the results of the data.
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