The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners and Punta Gorda City Council both voted unanimously to raise millage rates and adopt budgets to cover their higher costs.
Charlotte County
Charlotte County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the county’s 2023-24 fiscal year budget of more than $1.14 billion and the 2024-25 planned budget of more than $1.08 billion.
The ad valorem portion, which is what property owners pay in taxes, now has a millage rate of 6.1687 mills, which is 13.56% more than the rollback rate of 5.4322 mills.
The total countywide portion amounts to $309,659,895. This means depending on the property’s appraised value, county taxpayers will see an increase of anywhere between $40 and $60.
Anticipating a large crowd, the board moved the budget hearing from county administration building Meeting Room 119 to the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center. However, some 35 members of the public showed up, while at least a dozen law enforcement officers were inside the meeting room, as others mingled outside.
Several members of the public spoke with varying views, but all complained about the tax rate increase, including David Kesselring, who suggested the county cut salaries across the board.
Some complained about wasting taxpayer dollars on buildings and landscape, but Crystal Evans of South Gulf Cove said she wished the county would do more to add landscaping similar to what the city of North Port has done.
City of Punta Gorda
Residents of the city of Punta Gorda will also pay more in property taxes and on water, yard waste and solid waste collection and recycling beginning Oct. 1, after City Council unanimously adopted its budget Wednesday evening at the Military Heritage Museum.
City Manager Greg Murray said during the budget hearing that a $1 million assessed home would pay $2.50 more per week, or approximately $119 more per year in taxes.
The city set its millage rate at 3.9500 for fiscal year 2023-24, an 11.43% increase over the calculated rollback of 3.5449.
The city’s tax levy is now $18,075,110.
City Finance Director Kristin Simeone said recycling will increase by 75 cents per month, yard waste will go up 25 cents per month and 6% for nonresidents. Recycling will increase 36 cents per month.
Punta Gorda has its own utility company, and depending on whether the property is residential or commercial and how many gallons of water are used, increases vary.
Residential customers will pay between 13 and 28 cents more per month for usage ranging from zero to 5,000 gallons up to over 40,000 gallons. A user of 10,000 gallons per month would pay 15 cents more, for example.
The city had to increase the tax rate due to more expenditures for an increase of 13 employees in finance, public works, urban design, public safety, utilities and building, Murray said. Also, information technology improvements and increased annual subscriptions necessitated the increase.
