The tax increases are generating almost no opposition, in large part because they are tied to benefits taxpayers can see: raises for teachers and cops, additions of firefighters (three this year at the county, three more next year), restoring reserves decimated during the recession, and so on.
Taxes
Palm Coast Proposes 6 Percent Tax Hike; Home Owners Will See Much Lower Increase
If the council sticks with the proposed 2016 rate, which is the same as this year’s, a homesteaded homeowner with a $150,000 house, in the median range in Palm Coast, would see a tax increase of between $5 and $10 dollars for the year.
Flagler School Taxes Going Up About 4%, Heralding Season of Steeper Government Levies
The typical Palm Coast house valued at $150,000 will pay roughly $50 more in school taxes for the year even as the tax rate goes down slightly.
Flagler Looking to Raise Tourism Tax For 2nd Time in Four Years Despite Surging Revenue
Flagler County wants to raise the local sales surtax on hotel and motel stays to 5%, from 4%, even though revenue has grown ten-fold over the past decade.
$780 Million More for Education in Florida, But a $500 Million Property Tax Increase
The special session’s much-touted tax cut of $427 million is wiped out by a nearly $500 million tax increase to pay for education funding increases.
Gov. Scott Signs $429 Million Tax-Cut Package, Saving Average Floridians a Few Dollars a Year
The tax savings are projected at less than $2 a month for people paying $100 a month for phone or TV services. The package reduces costs on cell-phone bills, cable TV bills, gun club memberships, college textbooks and luxury boat repairs.
Taxable Values Rise Again–6% in Palm Coast, 7% in Flagler–But So Do Demands on Budgets
With more value comes more revenue for local governments, and more expectations from various agencies and the public–including a $2.4 million budget increase request from the sheriff’s office alone.
Despite Budget Crunch, Cable and Cell Phone Tax Cuts Still Expected in Special Session
Floridians could still get a reduction in their cable-TV and cell-phone bills as part of a new House tax-cut package, though it’ll fall short of the nearly $700 million package projected earlier this year.
Guns and Ammo Included In Sales Tax Holiday Florida Lawmakers Are Set To Approve
Guns and ammunition remain in a proposed Independence Day sales-tax holiday on hunting gear that is part of a wide-ranging tax cut package that advanced Tuesday in the House.
Scott’s Magical ‘Tax Cut Calculator’ Obscures Nation’s 2nd Most Unfair Tax System
As Gov. Scott touts minor tax cuts for consumers, you could ask why that $43 a year saved on the cable bill compares so unfavorably with the $3-4 billion in corporate tax evasion he and his legislative allies let Florida’s biggest, most profitable businesses get away with each and every year, writes Daniel Tilson.