Blog: Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?

Published on January 20, 2026

A Headache as Old as Time (Literally, 5,000 Years Old)

Taxes have been a part of life for well over 5,000 years. As soon as humans formed organized societies with leaders, armies and public works, taxes appeared right alongside them.

In the earliest civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia*, people paid their taxes in grain, livestock, goods and even labor (yes, pyramid-building counted). Scribes kept meticulous records on clay tablets. If you really want to geek out, the Code of Ur-Nammu and later Hammurabi’s Code both mention taxation**. And humans have been grumbling about taxes since the dawn of civilization. Some things never change.

Why Taxes Started: The Original Group Project

Once people stopped living in small tribes and began building cities, their needs grew and quickly became too big for any one household to manage. Large infrastructure projects needed shared resources. Leaders, soldiers, priests, record keepers and builders all needed to eat despite not farming full time. Armies had to be fed. Communities needed safety nets for years of famine or drought.

Taxes emerged because early societies needed collective solutions to collective problems. They were the price you paid for living in an organized community rather than in a small, isolated group.

When Carrying Too Many Goats Became Impractical

So how did taxes evolve from “please bring two goats and a sack of barley” to the system we know today?

As trade expanded, hauling around livestock and grain became inconvenient. Enter coins. Metal currency provided a standard, portable way to measure value, so governments shifted from collecting physical goods to collecting money. Armies could be paid more easily, supplies purchased more efficiently, and granaries were finally off the hook.

Fast-forward to the modern era and taxes moved again, this time into banking-based, digital systems. Today your taxes flow through online payments, budgets and formulas that fund everything from roads and schools to emergency services and long-term infrastructure.

So Where Do Your Property Taxes Go?

Like all cities in the U.S., North Port’s government is funded by a mix of revenue: federal and state grants, utility payments, user fees, impact fees, district assessments and of course property taxes.

But here’s the important part: your total property tax bill doesn’t entirely go to the City of North Port. Far from it. On average:

· 42% goes to the Sarasota County School District

· 23% goes to Sarasota County Government

· 9% goes to “Other” districts and public agencies

· The remaining portion, 26%, stays with the City of North Port

Let’s break that down.

Sarasota County School District

The largest single portion of your tax bill supports education, including:

· Teacher salaries

· Classroom supplies and instructional materials

· Guidance counselors, social workers and student support services

· Curriculum updates and staff training

· Classroom and instructional technology

· School administration (principals, office staff)

· Maintenance and utilities for school buildings

· Construction of new facilities and major renovations

· Transportation (buses, drivers, fuel)

· Food services and meal programs

Schools are like small cities. Taxes help keep them running.

Sarasota County Government

Your county tax dollars also help keep the region running. They fund:

· County law enforcement and public safety

· County roads, bridges and drainage

· Transit services

· Parks and natural land preservation

· Libraries

· Emergency management

· Planning, permitting and regional government operations

Sarasota County’s budget is large, with public safety and infrastructure taking a significant share.

“Other” Districts

This portion includes funding for:

· Sarasota Memorial Hospital

· Southwest Florida Water Management District

· West Coast Inland Navigation District

These agencies provide regional services that support health, water and navigation across multiple communities.

So… What About North Port?

You might think you only “engage” with your local government once in a while – like when you pay your utility bill, show up to vote or catch a City Commission meeting - so why do you need to pay taxes? But actually, you interact with the City of North Port dozens of times a day, often without realizing it. In fact, it starts before you’re even awake.

When you turn on the tap to make that first cup of coffee, if you have city water, then what is flowing out is treated, tested and delivered by your city. When you drive to work, the smooth roads beneath your tires are paved and maintained by the city. When it rains (and in Florida it will), the swale and road outside your home quietly move stormwater away so your house doesn’t flood. When the traffic light changes, that’s city infrastructure at work. And if you ever have the worst day imaginable and need police, fire, or EMS, it’s your city that shows up. Fast. And trust us, you want that! The ROSC (Return Of Spontaneous Circulation) rate in North Port is currently 41% compared to the national average of roughly 25% thanks to our Fire Rescue crews’ dedicated training and community education. So, if your heart is going to stop anywhere in the world, it’s better for it to be here in your hometown than anywhere else.

These services are paid for from a combination of property taxes, assessments fees, grants, federal funding and other sources. In North Port, the portion of your property taxes that stay local pays for:

· Police and emergency medical services

· Parks, playgrounds and recreation facilities

· Planning, zoning and code enforcement services

· Maintenance of City facilities

· Community centers and public buildings

· The staff and systems that keep everything running

· City technology and cyber security systems

· And much more!

Things like our fire service are funded by fire assessments; road repair, traffic management, canal maintenance, drainage and flood protection and sidewalks and shared use paths are funded by road and drainage assessments.

While the county and school district fund essential regional services, North Port’s share of taxes (and assessment fees) is what keeps daily life functioning and your community thriving. It’s the quiet, constant backbone of where you live.

How to Be Involved

The City doesn’t just use your property taxes to deliver services as we see fit. We actively want your input on which services matter most to you and where your money should be spent. That’s why

each year we host the Community Budget Input process. This is your chance to help shape how we prioritize funding: what to invest in, what to maintain and what the community sees as most important. Feedback is collected during public meetings each spring, followed by the assumptions, projections and priorities workshop with the City Commission, where you can also provide input through public comment. City leadership and Commissioners use your input as they prepare the annual budget starting in June. To learn more or participate, visit NorthPortFL.gov/BudgetInput. To see how the current budget was built, download the Updated Budget FY26, and thank you for playing your part to help us keep our city running smoothly and safely.

* The History Of Taxation In Ancient Civilizations: A Comprehensive Overview Of Early Fiscal Systems And Their Impact

** Hammurabi's Code: A Study of Taxation Laws in Ancient Babylon - Babylonian Mythology

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