JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a split vote of 9 to 9 Tuesday night, The Jacksonville City Council will make a final decision on the city’s millage rate later this month.
The mayor’s office and city council have been at odds over whether to lower the millage rate, which is how the city calculates your property taxes.
One mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 of your home’s value, so if your home is worth $200,000, one mill equals $200 in taxes.
The City Council Finance Committee proposed lowering the millage rate by one-eighth to give money “back to the citizens,” but Mayor Donna Deegan argued the cut won’t really do much for property tax bills and could hurt the ability to fund key city services that citizens have said they want.
During a Tuesday night meeting, during a series of three votes, city councilmembers were split with a 9 to 9 vote on the mayor’s proposed millage rate increase. The final vote was 10 to 8 with council member Ron Salem changing his vote.
Now, a final decision will be made at the Sept. 23 meeting. At that time, members will take up the Finance Committee’s amendment to reduce the millage rate.
“Families across Jacksonville are stretched thin, and they deserve property tax relief,” said City Council President Kevin Carrico. “This Council has the chance to put $13 million back into taxpayers’ pockets this year and nearly $70 million over the next five years. On September 23, with the full Council present, we can reject higher taxes once and for all and deliver real relief for Jacksonville families.”
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