- March 13, 2025
The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners approved a tentative tax rate of 7.008 mills, or $7.01 for every $1,000 of taxable income, for the 2012-2013 fiscal year at a public budget hearing Thursday.
This is 5.92% higher than the rollback rate, which would have set taxes at 6.6843 mills.
County Administrator Craig Coffey said that despite the county’s cuts to personnel and budgets, decreases in asset value in today’s economy have pushed tax revenue down significantly.
“As values have dropped, of course, the income for the same tax rate that we’ve had has dropped each year,” he said.
The county’s overall budget is down 49.5% in the last five years, he said.
Ronald Pokigo, treasurer of the Friends of the Library Flagler County, said during public comment that he would welcome higher taxes, because they would provide more community services and amenities for all residents.
But Larisa Bolotnikov, a broker associate at Florida Green Homes, cautioned against increased taxes for Flagler County citizens.
“I’m a Realtor; I see how people are struggling in Flagler County right now,” she said. “They’re losing their homes; they can’t pay rent because they can’t find jobs. I would like to ask you as a citizen of Flagler County, please, be careful to increase the taxes.”
Coffey also presented a budget proposal for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, totaling $64,941,830.
The board passed the budget and millage rate unanimously, but the rate has not been finalized yet. A second public hearing about the budget and tax rate will be held 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18, in the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center.
School Board sets millage rate of 6.443
The Flagler County School Board finalized its tax rate at 6.443 mills for the next fiscal year at a budget hearing Wednesday.
This is a 5.2% decrease from last year’s rate of 6.531. The board’s millage rate has decreased each fiscal year since 2008-2009.
It also approved a budget of $94,898,349.