Property Tax Facts

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You've seen lots of property tax discourse in the news, and now a Nov. 3 general election ballot question is coming. The proposed amendment would change how property taxes in Florida are applied to homesteads. Here's some information about what that means for you and your North Port city services.  

If the ballot measure is approved, the City of North Port would lose an estimated $14.5 million in ad valorem tax revenue. This level of revenue loss could affect the city’s ability to fund services supported by the General Fund. This includes parks & recreation, emergency management and public safety (police and fire are not exempt, and their levels of service could be impacted). 

Click the pictures and read the FAQ below to learn more about what your property tax pays for and how those costs would have to be made up.

Impact on the General Fund

  • The City of North Port does not have a significant commercial tax base. Approximately 87% are residential properties, and 45% are homesteaded.
  • Public Safety costs $55 million ($40 million for police and $15 million for fire/EMS), which consumes 57% of the General Fund.
    This is more than the entire property tax revenue of $39 million. 
Here's where your North Port property tax dollars go

Based on an average $250,000 taxable value ($942 North Port taxes)

General Fund Departments/Divisions Per Household
(Monthly)
Police $32.11
Fire Rescue: EMS $12.30
Public Works: Facilities Maintenance $6.87
Parks & Recreation: Administration, Recreation, Aquatics, Maintenance $6.50
Information Technology $4.57
Development Services: Planning & Zoning, Economic Development, Code Enforcement $3.42
Finance $2.64
Non-departmental $1.70
City Manager's Office $1.68
Legal $1.66
Human Resources & Risk Management $1.56
Communications $1.08
City Clerk $0.77
Social Services $0.60
Commission $0.59
Emergency Management $0.42

 

The City of North Port use its portion of property taxes for:

  • Police and emergency medical services
  • Parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities
  • Planning, zoning, and code enforcement
  • Maintenance of city facilities
  • Community centers and public buildings
  • Staff and operational systems
  • City technology and cybersecurity

Potential service impacts funding options to make up for lost revenue

  • Deferred maintenance of facilities and infrastructure
  • Reduced capacity for capital projects and growth-related investments
  • Reduced staffing and service levels in quality-of-life programs, facilities maintenance, planning and development and cybersecurity
  • Adjusted support functions for police, fire and emergency services
  • Adjusted emergency management and disaster response capabilities
  • Explore creation of special assessments such as park and recreation assessments, infrastructure and community development districts, dedicated EMS millage
  • Increased reliance on fees or other charges to sustain services

Applying Florida DOGE efforts to North Port

Spending growth relative to population and inflation

You may say that North Port is spending too much compared to our population growth. Well, the City applied the Florida DOGE formula to the its budget in FY25 and found that our spending growth over a five-year period aligns with our population growth and inflation.

DOGE evaluated spending growth using the following benchmark: 

FY20 Budget x Population Growth x 26% Inflationary Factor = FY25 Expected Budget

FY20 North Port City-Wide Adopted Budget $175,310,470
 North Port Population Growth 30.8%
Inflationary Factor used by DOGE 26%
 FY25 North Port DOGE Expected Budget $288,925,679
 FY25 North Port City-Wide Adopted Budget $288,510,770

 

Growth in personnel costs

Personnel growth is driven by the need to serve a rapidly growing community. Staffing levels have increased in line with population growth and service demand.

North Port Population vs. Budgeted FTEs

120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 Population Total FTEs Fiscal Years 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Population
Total FTE's

Have a question? Drop it here.

FAQ

Q: What are property taxes?

A: The taxable value of property times the millage rate or the amount of money you get taxed based on the taxable value of your home.

Q: What do your local taxes do now? 

A: $78/per month in North Port property taxes pay for $194/per month in City services. For every $1 in local taxes, North Port delivers about $2.47 in essential services.

Q: What is being proposed for the November 2026 ballot?

A: The Florida Legislature approved a joint resolution that will place a property tax constitutional amendment on the November 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide. The constitutional amendment (HJR 1F) requires 60% voter support to take effect.

Q: What would the amendment do?

A: It would create a new “super homestead” exemption on non-school property taxes for Florida homeowners. 

Q: How would the exemption increase over time?

A: The exemption would start at $150,000 on Jan. 1, 2027, increase to $250,000 on Jan. 1, 2028, and then grow annually with inflation.

Q: Does all of my property tax go to the City of North Port?

A: No. Your total property tax bill is shared among several agencies. On average:

  • 42% goes to the Sarasota County School District
  • 23% goes to Sarasota County Government
  • 9% goes to other districts and public agencies
  • 26% stays with the City of North Port

Q: Does this apply to school property taxes?

A: No, the exemption applies only to the non-school portion of ad valorem property taxes. School district taxes are not included.

Q: Who qualifies for the full exemption?

A: Homeowners must be Florida residents on or before Dec. 31, 2026, to qualify for the full “super homestead” exemption. New residents would receive a smaller exemption for four years before becoming eligible for the full amount. 

Q: When would the amendment take effect if approved?

A: If at least 60% of voters approve it in November 2026, the amendment would be added to the Florida Constitution and begin phasing in starting in the 2027 tax year.