JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Look out Jacksonville. A higher property tax bill is heading your way.
Now that the city council has approved the budget for next year, which did not include a tax rate increase, new tax bills will be coming out at the end of October.
“I wonder why they gotta go up on our taxes when they built in so many new houses is gonna increase the tax revenue unbelievably,” homeowner Jimmie Avant said.
Jimmie’s taxes like just about everyone else in Duval County are going up even though the city council did not vote for a rate increase, voters did.
Back in 2022 voters in Duval County agreed to raise property taxes in order to pay teachers more and increase funding for arts and athletic programs.
Property Appraiser Joyce Morgan said this is the first time the tax came into play and it’s something many have forgotten.
“And some people will have sticker shock, like I said, the other people realize, and as soon as they thought about it, they said, ‘Oh, yeah, it was coming.’ And we did vote on this. So it should not be a secret to everyone,” Morgan said.
And that is just one reason.
Property values have also skyrocketed in Jacksonville, meaning your home’s value is now higher. While there is a cap on how that will affect the taxes for homesteaded houses in Jacksonville, it is still having an impact on how much you have to pay.
Duval County Tax Collector Jim Overton said those bills are going out soon. As for paying them, the earlier you fork over the money the cheaper it is for you.
“We send the bill out the first of November. So that bill is due in March for property taxes, you get discounts if you pay early,” Overton said.
It’s too late to protest the amount of your bill, that deadline was earlier this month after the first tax notices were sent.
But it seems many are upset.
According to the property appraiser, there is an increase in the number of people formally protesting their bills. The office is working on those complaints and hopes to solve some of the problems before hearings on those protests begin in mid-October.