The Lee County government is in the final stages of setting a $2.88 billion budget — that's a 14 percent increase over the current fiscal year's budget.
To get there, the average homeowner will see an increase in their tax bill that is largely due to higher assessed home values.
Taxes are determined by a millage rate. The millage rate for major funding projects remained the same as what was set last year.
“Keeping the millage rate the same for the major funds was the board direction through our budget process,” Betsy Clayton, spokeswoman for the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, said.
Lee County residents who have homestead exemptions are protected from large increases in property taxes by the Save Our Homes constitutional amendment. It protects homesteaded properties from having more than a 3 percent increase in value in any tax year.
Because the millage rate is staying the same, that means people with homestead exemptions should not see increases higher than 3 percent.
A portion of the funding is for the operation of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Its proposed budget is $315 million. That’s a $38 million increase over what was approved a year ago.
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The additional funding, if approved later this month, would allow the expansion of the department by 75 positions as well as salary enhancements.
Other big-ticket items in the proposed budget include road projects in fast-growing eastern Lee County near the campus of FGCU.
In addition the budget provides 34 new positions for Lee County Emergency Medical Services and four new ambulance stations.
Since there is no state income tax in Florida, governments must rely on property taxes to fund various government operations.
The final budget hearing will be held on Sept. 17 at 5:05 p.m. at the Old Lee County Courthouse.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you. Thank you. Tori Foltz is an intern in the WGCU News Path program.