PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL COULD JEOPARDIZE ESSENTIAL COUNTY SERVICES

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Commissioners leaned into the Federal and State-recommended government efficiency effort last year. They examined county services and trimmed almost $19 million in non-core services, while increasing starting and overall pay for sheriff and fire employees. This was a direct action to save taxpayers' money, while increasing public safety. 

The county continues its efforts to streamline local government services and, where legally possible, shift expenses to visitor-paid revenue sources to help locals in the Florida Keys with affordability. 

This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a new bill (SJR 2-F) that threatens not only to decrease revenue but also to remove funding for non-core services. The bill would provide relief to homeowners who claim a homestead exemption (meaning they live in the home as their primary residence); however, as written, it outlines specific items the county can fund with ad valorem (property) tax revenue while omitting many mandated services and is not comprehensive. The omissions include:

• Medicaid and juvenile justice cost shares
• Support for public health and mental health services
• Planning and environmental regulation under the State-mandated Area of Critical State Concern
framework
• Veterans services
• Flood resilience and disaster recovery
• Affordable housing initiatives
• Code compliance to ensure structural safety
• Core government functions such as budgeting, procurement, grants administration, communications,
and legal services
• Libraries and parks
• Information technology systems supporting 911 and emergency operations
• Facilities and fleet maintenance
• Guardian Ad Litem support for abused and neglected children
• Constitutional offices responsible for elections, court operations, property assessment, tax collection, judicial administration, and legal proceedings.

On Friday, Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln sent a letter to members of the Florida Legislature expressing concerns about the proposed property tax changes and their impact on the county’s ability to fund these items and the constitutional offices.

The legislature will meet in Tallahassee for a special session on Monday to discuss the proposal. County commissioners were unable to meet before the special session, but each commissioner and the constitutional officers were given an opportunity to review the letter before it was sent. The county will also discuss the bill at the Wednesday, June 10 meeting at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo or via Zoom.

Monroe County already takes ad valorem (property) tax very seriously. Approximately 91 percent of Monroe County’s ad valorem (property) tax levy funds public safety operations and constitutional officers. Public safety services alone account for roughly 69 percent of the levy, supporting the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Rescue, Trauma Star Air Ambulance, Emergency Management, detention operations, and emergency communications. Constitutional officers account for another 22 percent.

“Monroe County supports thoughtful discussions about tax relief, and the commission wants to provide tax relief to full-time residents, but any proposal must recognize the realities of providing legally mandated essential services in a geographically unique and hurricane-prone community,” said Lincoln. “Our residents depend on public safety personnel, emergency response capabilities, constitutional offices, and numerous other services that are required 

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