Jacksonville’s property tax rates likely will remain unchanged in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
During the first meeting of the newly seated City Council, members approved Mayor Lenny Curry’s’ proposed preliminary ad valorem tax millage rate by emergency legislation in a 19-0 vote Tuesday.
The rate remains at $11.4419 per every $1,000 of taxable property value. The tax rate for the urban service districts 2-4 — the Beaches — was set at $8.1512 per every $1,000 of taxable value, and the city of Baldwin will see a rate of $9.6312 per every $1,000 of taxable value.
Although the millage rate will stay the same, some Duval County property owners could see an increase in their bill due to increasing property values.
Jacksonville homeowners with a $150,000 home with a $50,000 state of Florida homestead exemption could expect to pay about $1,144 in city taxes. The rate does not affect the Duval County Public Schools tax rate or property taxes from any other government entity.
The tax rate was approved in advance of council’s review of Curry’s proposed $1.3 billion budget.
Council Finance Committee hearings on the budget begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 8 in council chambers at City Hall.
Council Auditor Kyle Billy said Tuesday the final rate could be changed before council adopts the budget in September but would require a special meeting of the council.
Billy told council members after Curry’s budget address July 15, and said again Tuesday, that the rate must be approved as an emergency so November property tax notices can be prepared.
“The reason it has to be done at the council meeting is because the property appraiser has to send out notices and he has to get them out by Aug. 4,” Billy said July 15.
“It’s the TRIM notice that comes out for everyone’s property taxes. He uses that preliminary rate to calculate everyone’s taxes,” Billy said.
TRIM is the Truth-in-Millage act approved by the Legislature in 1980 to inform taxpayers about their levied taxes.