During a Tallahassee City Commission budget workshop on Wednesday, February 8, City Commissioner Jack Porter discussed the possibility of raising property taxes to pay for more city services.
Citing the history of the city’s property tax, Commissioner Porter stated over the last 20 years the city has increased the property tax rate by four-tenths – “which is very little.”
The city’s current millage rate, established for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022, and ending September 30, 2023, is 4.1 mills and is projected to raise approximately $56.5 million.
In 2020, the same millage rate resulted in tax revenue of approximately $47.3 million. The 19.5% ($9.2 million) increase in property tax revenues since 2020 is due to the increase in residential property values.
Porter stated that people want more services and also noted that some community needs that used to be met by the federal and state government are no longer being met and cities have to step in.
“I’m sure its not popular for any one to say and I’m not making a motion, I do think we need to consider whether we are going to increase our millage rate at some point,” Porter said.
Porter added, “That is a conservation that needs to happen in a vey deliberate community led way.. sometime soon.”
Porter stated that the new services that she would like to see include light snacks at city commission meetings, a $15 minimum wage, a social worker for case management duties related to affordable housing, and more small city events at city maintained parks.
After the workshop Commissioner Porter took to Twitter to express her concerns about prior spending decisions.
Porter tweeted, “We’ve seen financial mismanagement in local government, including bloated executive salaries and huge taxpayer subsidies for big developers — while Tallahassee’s neighborhoods are left behind.”
Porter added, “Folks are concerned about stewardship of their tax dollars. Leon County property taxes were raised in 2020 amid the pandemic, which I opposed. I also proudly opposed the reckless, wasteful $27 million giveaway of Blueprint funds last year, like the vast majority of the public.”
Porter concluded her remarks by tweeting, “Looking forward to helping lead a more responsible fiscal path forward and reform in local government to make City Hall work better for all in 2023 and beyond!”
Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter Seeks Discussion on Property Tax Increase added by Steve Stewart on
View all posts by Steve Stewart →
Snakes, what a joke!
Much less government is the answer.
Queen Jack:
“Let them eat snacks.”
I assume Porter wants snacks for the attending public, since the Commission and staff already get catered buffet dinner for every meeting.
My taxes will be raised for those who don’t pay property taxes to get things I won’t get. And guess what…raising property taxes means rent goes up.
Please publish a list of the top 20 paid COT employees’ salary. How many new positions have been created in the last five years? What percent increase in last five years for management?
Just a “concerned citizen.”
Scary comment as the city has bled us dry with large property tax increases annually the last 15 years..Simple Jack trying the oldest political ruse in Florida by trying to infer they have not raised our taxes in a long time when she knows full well(I hope at least) that Florida considers an increase in appraised value with the same millage rate a tax increase..My advice is stop these out of control liberal spending programs and do some serious cuts in spending instead of just sticking your snouts in the tax trough again!
When it comes to taxes and fiscal conservation, I’d rather have a Snack-Happy-Jack and a Pizza Boy represent me than the other fat cat commissioners with their insatiable appetite for Ghazvini money and the trough of corruption.
Let us have our silly Snack-Attack jokes, roll with it Jack, because you are the winner of the day by calling out fiscal mismanagement.
And can I serve that advice with a small bite of something good?
For the others, they deserve only grapes of taxpayer wrath!
What she originally said was higher taxes for NEW services, not to pay for wasteful spending. Govt needs to do less, not more.
Is that the problem with commission decision making? They are all lightheaded and weak from low blood sugar?
Please! My employer doesn’t buy me snacks. Why should the commissioners’ employers, we taxpayers, buy them snacks.
Maybe Porter is a little hungrier, because unlike other commissioners, she doesnt work a second job. To her credit, she focuses all her working energy on her duties as comissioner. Can’t Jeremy just bring her a slice?
Sadly, NO amount of snacking will help the others, they are fat cats already!
Selective reporting. Porter made the point that the city is blowing it’s wad on subsidizing development and big money give aways and to even maintain our current standard, taxes may need to increase.
Exactly what happens with the Villages
Development never pays for it. It costs something like $1.45 on the dollar in the log run
Worst quote of the day:
“It doesn’t matter which politician(s) supported it or didn’t support it… an ill-informed and malleable electorate made the call.”
It does matter which politician(s) supported it. It matters a lot.
Best FACT of the Day…
“The voters of Tallahassee/Leon voted to raise their own taxes with the CSC slush fund.”
It doesn’t matter which politician(s) supported it or didn’t support it… an ill-informed and malleable electorate made the call.
Are the owners of all the vacant buildings and half empty strip malls in Tallahassee paying all their property taxes? What about “churches” where folks are told how to vote paying some into the kitty? DON’T RAISE TAXES!!!
Best quote of the day.”
“Meanwhile John Dailey actually raised property taxes for the CSC slush fund. Zzz”
Just so I get this straight, parents already facing massive inflation under this current regime, are struggling to put food in their kids’ lunches and you want them to also pay to put food in your pie hole? If someone told me in passing a politician actually said that, I would have never believed them, but here we are.
~ Porter stated that the new services that she would like to see include light snacks at city commission meetings, a $15 minimum wage, a social worker for case management duties related to affordable housing, and more small city events at city maintained parks.
1. Buy you own “snacks”
2. We’re already there, try to keep up
3. Social Services is not congruous to home affordability
4. And – pray tell – exactly what kind of “small city events” are you referring to… drag shows for kids?… weed smoke-ins?… homeless tent design class?… trans special Olympics?
OK, one more…….With all of the new Housing that the City is allowing to happen where 95% of the Homes are selling for $250K to $450K, PLUS the new HUGE Subdivision you allowed on Paul Russell / Blairstone that they are already clearing for, and the Canopy Subdivision, you should be rolling in the Money real soon so leave the Property Tax alone. Stop thinking “Here and Now” and think Future………because the “Future so Bright, you gotta wear Shades”,…. Hopefully.
Jack Porter needs to be informed. Property values went up last year and the millage rate stayed the same resulting in more taxes collected by the city. Raising property taxes is not helping their so called ‘affordable housing’ problem.
Snacks at City Commission meetings?
I dont believe I would have said that.
“Porter stated that the new services that she would like to see include light snacks at city commission meetings”………..Everyone can buy their own Snacks.
A Second Thought………… Because of the CSC, my Property Tax took a big jump and that made my Mortgage Payment jump $60 a Month as well. You keep talking about Affordable House and Low Income Housing Ownership…………. Raising Property Taxes will make it even HARDER for Low Income Housing Ownership to happen.
How about putting an end all the WASTEFUL Spending instead because our Bone Headed Rocky Hanna wants to raise our Property Taxes to give Teachers a raise.
no
Meanwhile John Dailey actually raised property taxes for the CSC slush fund. Zzz
Democrats love income redistribution.
Did you watch the meeting? She talked about how the commissioners blew all their money on dumb ideas and that they either needed to quit spending money or accept that they were barreling down a property tax increase. She was the only commissioner that talked the entire budget workshop…