Jacksonville property tax rate could go up 8 percent -- or more

[thelakelander]

By Matt Galnor

One person’s “revenue-neutral millage rate adjustment” is another’s “tax increase.”

Either way, Jacksonville property owners could be looking at a tax rate increase of more than 8 percent come October.

Because of dropping property values, that’s the rate increase needed to keep the same property  tax revenue the city is bringing in this year, according to June 1 estimates from the Duval County Property Appraiser’s Office. The final numbers will be available next month.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-06-04/story/keep-same-revenue-jacksonville-property-tax-rate-would-go-85-percent

[CS Foltz]

Gee...........I am kinda surprised that the "Boy Blunder" just does not institute Fee's as he has done in the past! As in the Storm Water Fee and lets not forget all about the Garbage Fee!If John Boy would just cut loose some of those high paid AMIO's, which by the way is to the tune of $27 Million Dollars a year, maybe the City would come closer to the actual numbers needed? Either way, I don't see City Hall doing much except asking the taxpayers to foot the bill just one more time! But this will be the last time......right Johnny? In a pigs a**! I apologize to all of the pigs out there......sorry pigs!

[tufsu1]

It is called a revenue neutral budget CS andc the Property Appraiser is required to calculate that...plus, don't forget, continued growth in the City coupled with rising home values allowed the millage rate to be cut for 18 straight years (5 of which were under Peyton)....were you complaining then?

[CS Foltz]

tufsu...............complaining then did no more than complaining now! Either way City continues to squander resoursces, payoff friends of Johnny and continues to pay 227 AMIO's to the tune of $27 Million Dollars a year! For this I should say............great job John? Property values have sunk and I don't see the Property Appraiser making adjustments to the new current lows! Try selling property at values of 3 years ago or better yet, get an appraisal and compare to what the comps are now! You would lose your shirt, if you could sell, and that is a big if!

[Miss Fixit]

COJ is far too dependent upon property tax revenues, and increasing taxes at this time will have the unwelcome effect of reducing property values further.

I'm not a fan of the way the stormwater and garbage fees were handled, but certain use fees should be considered.  For example, let's raise some money for the parks through reasonable fees for tennis and swimming and other programs.

However, the most important step our local government needs to take is in the area of cutting costs.  There are far too many wasteful programs (I love the idea of Rally Jacksonville but, come on, those books are awful) and government employee pensions and perks are totally out of control. We need some folks on city council with the guts to take on the unions and special interest groups.  If those in office today won't do it, we need to elect some people who will.

[tufsu1]

227 AMIO's to the tune of $27 Million Dollars a year! For this I should say............great job John? Property values have sunk and I don't see the Property Appraiser making adjustments to the new current lows! Try selling property at values of 3 years ago or better yet, get an appraisal and compare to what the comps are now! You would lose your shirt, if you could sell, and that is a big if!

an average of just over $100k for management positions is not exactly ridiculous....in fact, I know lots of non-management people in bopth public and private sectors that get paid in this range.

As for property values, mine were adjusted quite a bit lst year...in fact, even with the 9% millage increase, my tax bill was less...I suggest doing some research on assessed vlues from the property appraiser's website.

[Dog Walker]

My residential properties was adjusted downward last year as well, but my commercial properties were not.  I will be interested in seeing what this year's tax bill brings and am prepared to appeal the assessed values on the commercial properties if they do not adjust to their new, lower market value.

$100k for a managerial position is not an unreasonable, but those are "assistant" manager positions and a lot of us question the need for their existence at all.  It reeks of the smell of the old "spoils system" which is why the Civil Service was created in the first place.

[mtraininjax]

If the average job at the port makes 45k and the average in Jax for all jobs is in the low 30s, how reasonable is it to have 227 people making over 100,000 at the City?

[tufsu1]

If the average job at the port makes 45k and the average in Jax for all jobs is in the low 30s, how reasonable is it to have 227 people making over 100,000 at the City?

possibly quite reasonable...remember the port has quite a few execs who make a good bit over $100k (as does every other company/agency).

So ask this...including the AMIO folks, what is the average City employee paid?

[mtraininjax]

This is not a debate over the average city employee salary, it is a debate over what is the average for a person employed in Jacksonville, in all jobs. The JCCI report should shed good light on the average employed wage. You can't use the City released numbers either, because many have different pension plans.