- May 12, 2024
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The Palm Coast City Council and Flagler County Commission are beginning the process of determining property tax rates for the coming 2022 fiscal year.
The County Commission determined July 12 that it will send out public notice of a maximum possible millage rate of 8.2547 mills, or $8.2547 per $1000 worth of taxable property value. That's the rate the county has used for the past two fiscal years.
Commissioner Andy Dance proposed lowering the rate presented on the public notice by a tenth of a mill.
"I think it would be a good statement if we at least started off with a small lowering of the millage to indicate that we’re thinking of the taxpayers," he said. "And we’ve got some room to actually lower millage, with the 9% growth [in property values].
The county's property tax revenues are up about $6.9 million, totaling $82.8 million this year, according to John Brower, the county's financial services director.
Commission Chairman Donald O'Brien pointed out that the county can come down from the rate printed on the public notices, but can't go over it.
"For purposes of the notice, I would rather keep my options open," O'Brien said.
The actual rate will not be set until September.
The Palm Coast City Council has not yet voted on the rate to be sent out on public notices.
But city staff, at a City Council workshop July 13, presented the council with a potential budget based on a proposed millage rate of 4.6989 — the rate the city has had since fiscal year 2019.
Because property values have increased by 10%, that rate would bring in increased revenue for the city, potentially funding a proposed 8% budget increase.
The rolled-back rate — the rate that would bring in the same dollar amount as the current fiscal year — would be 4.4593.
