Volusia County tax rates are likely to remain flat or be reduced in the upcoming budget year, but unfortunately, some people are still having financial troubles.
Josephine Bronson of Daytona Beach is in her 70s and lives off Social Security. She has health issues and her house needs repairs, she told Volusia County Council members last week at a budget hearing. And she is facing a whopping tax bill of $6,000.
“I do not have this year’s taxes,” she said.
Volusia County budget proposal is $1.41 billion
On Sept. 4, the County Council had its first vote on a $1.41 billion operating budget. Even though the tax rate wasn’t raised, increased property values may mean some people will be paying more this year.
Keith Chester, of Volusia County, saw firsthand how tax bills are affecting young homeowners. He learned that two young men who did yard work at his house are paying three to four times what he pays, which is $1,000 a year.
“These two young men work full-time jobs, and we’re taxing the hell out of them, and they have to come work part-time jobs doing yard work for people in order to pay their bills,” he said.
Council members approved the rolled-back rate for some tax funds and flat rates for the rest. A rolled-back rate brings in the same property tax revenue as the prior year, aside from new construction. Flat property tax rates can still lead to increases.
The General Fund rate stayed flat because the county is facing $19 million in combined revenue losses and mandated expense increases, according to County Manager George Recktenwald.
So far, the most dramatic move the Council has made was to roll back the Fire Rescue fund after initially deciding it would remain flat. The firefighter-paramedics union opposed the rollback, citing struggles with ambulance response times.
Here are the tentative tax rates for the coming budget year, which will begin Oct. 1:
The second and final hearing on the budget will be at 5:01 p.m. on Sept. 16.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia property tax rates may not rise, but some say they are already paying too much
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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