Continued Sumter County growth means another year of lower tax rates next year for property owners.
A 2015-16 tax rate of $5.70 per $1,000 assessed valuation has been filed with the Florida Department of Revenue, even though the county budget will not be finalized for a couple of months. Last year’s tax rate was $5.90 per $1,000 assessed valuation.
The county now has about $9.1 billion in taxable property and about $661 million in taxable personal property, according to the state filing. Last year’s gross taxable property value was about $8.9 billion.
County commissioners attended budget workshops on three days earlier this month to review the details of the proposed budget.
New growth means Sumter County will collect about $300,000 less from the aggregate of all property owners next year, said County Administrator Bradley Arnold. The county’s population has grown nearly 40 percent over the past decade to 115,447.
“This is the 11th year we will be at the rollback rate or lower,” Commission Chairman Don Hahnfeldt told commissioners Tuesday night. “We will not battle with our constitutional officers in determining what taxes to raise or what services to cut. We look forward to continued good service and sound fiscal management.”
Arnold said county expenditures will drop by 16 percent next year, but not due to cuts. Fewer road projects and less capital improvements are the main drivers of lower spending, he said.
Construction of two public safety buildings near Pinellas Plaza and in Bushnell will be funded through bonds instead of by county expenditures.
Next year’s proposed $188.5-million county budget is down about $35.9 million from last year. The general fund depends on 125 revenue sources and the largest are property taxes. Other revenue sources include sales, fuel and local communication taxes as well as road impact fees.
Arnold said growth, especially in The Villages, kept Sumter County afloat during the economic downturn while other counties were forced to deplete their reserves.
The proposed budget calls for no net increase in the county’s 209 employees, although the Sheriff’s Office will add five jobs, including four deputies, while the tax collector, circuit court clerk and property appraiser will add one job each.
Ten part-time firefighter positions will be eliminated and three full-time jobs will be added. Positions also will be eliminated in administrative services and the Office of Management and Budget.
