Summary Section 200.065, Florida Statutes requires all taxing authorities to advise the Property Appraiser of the rolled back millage rate by August 4, 2015, and of the time, date and place at which a public hearing will be held to consider the tentative millage rate and the tentative budget. The School Board of Alachua County is holding its budget hearings on July 28 and September 15, 2015. The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners are holding its budget hearings on September 8 and September 22, 2015. Florida Statutes states that no taxing authority may hold a millage rate hearing on the same day as a school district and County Commission. Therefore, the City of Alachua will hold a public hearing at its September 14, 2015 meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the James A. Lewis Commission Chambers in City Hall.
The proposed millage rate for the Fiscal Year 2016 General Fund is 5.9900 mills. The General Fund rolled back millage rate is 5.5290 mills. The rolled back rate is the rate that would generate prior year ad valorem tax revenues less allowances for new construction, additions to structures, deletions and annexations. The proposed millage rate is 8.34% more than the rolled back millage rate
The following scenarios demonstrate the impact of the proposed millage increase on property owners at varying levels of valuation (after exemptions) if the proposed rate is adopted instead of the rolled back rate. Since many properties utilize escrow accounts to remit taxes monthly to a mortgage/finance company, a per month value demonstrating the impact has also been provided.
- $250,000 valuation results in $115.25 additional ad valorem taxes to the City ($9.60/month)
- $200,000 valuation results in $92.20 additional ad valorem taxes to the City ($7.68/month)
- $150,000 valuation results in $69.15 additional ad valorem taxes to the City ($5.76/month)
- $100,000 valuation results in $46.10 additional ad valorem taxes to the City ($3.84/month)
- $50,000 valuation results in $23.05 additional ad valorem taxes to the City ($1.92/month)
The rolled back rate would generate approximately $317,915 less ad valorem revenue than the proposed millage rate.
The City Manager's General Fund budget has been built based on the millage increase to 5.9900 mills and will be balanced when presented in August 2015. The final details of the budget and the City's millage rate will be discussed and reviewed at budget workshops over the next two months.
By adopting this resolution, the City Commission authorizes and directs the City Manager to provide a copy of the resolution to the Alachua County Property Appraiser for use in preparing the Notice of Proposed Property taxes, as required by Section 200.069, Florida Statutes and to execute, as the Administrating Official any Department of Revenue forms necessary to complete its certification.
Should the Commission desire to enact the millage rate at the rolled back rate of 5.5290 mills, a majority vote must be passed by the Commission at the first and second public hearings on the budget in September. Any millage rate set at 7.9440 or less would only require a majority vote by the Commission at the first and second public hearings on the budget in September. Any millage rate set greater than 7.9440 but less than 8.7384 would require a two-thirds (2/3) vote at the September public hearings. Tonight's action, in and of itself, does not set the final millage. A proposed millage tonight should be viewed as simply setting a ceiling, since any upward adjustment to the millage rate in September would require a new Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice to be mailed to all residents. This cost would be the responsibility of the City.
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