Additional Homestead Exemption For The Elderly?...Not Here.
As an opponent of the additional homestead exemption on the ballot last year, I did not vote for it for numerous reasons. One of them being that it did not really extend the exemption from the first $25,000 to the first $50,000 of the assessed value. The additional $25,000 applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000. So the exemption did not benefit the poor at all, it actually discriminated on certain classes, instead of giving it to everyone.
Now, the reason for my topic. According to the Department of Revenue website, State law allows a city or county government to enact a local ordinance allowing an additional homestead exemption amount, up to $50,000, to any person who had legal or equitable title to real estate on which they make their permanent residence and are 65 years of age or older and whose income does not exceed $24,289.00 as of January 1, 2008. This income requirement is adjusted annually based on changes in the cost-of-living index. Out of the 67 Florida counties, 59 of the county's Board of County Commission have passed such an ordinance, we are not one of them. A list of the 7 not participating are:
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Dixie
- Jefferson
- Marion
- Pasco
- Taylor
Topic open...
i agree with you completely,thanks for bringing this subject up. i encourage everyone to call their commissioners and ask why they havent done this.again thanks for the information
Reply to this
YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This shows the mindset of the BOCC. To not provide this incentive to our senior citizens is just plain short sighted. This just is another examples of the type of absurd stuff local and state politicans do, every day. Kind of like "no new taxes" just revenue enhancements. Now if the BOCC could bring an industry here for three jobs and kill us all..they would be all for it. We need some new commissioners and county staff!
Reply to this
The problem with the property tax issue is the “pine belt” and industry exempts. How many times do you have to hear about a subsidy system that is akin to Tobacco subsidy on crack/steroids? How many handouts are we all willing to give to companies such as the Buckeyes of the world? Get real and ask the hard question. Why are the county property appraiser’s records not on line?Duh. For heaven sakes Madison and Hamilton counties have an open book on line with limited resources yet, Taylor County with an approximate 50 million budget can not offer the citizen any meaningful services. This county has difficulty supplying basic services to entire county i.e. Emergency services in south end, infrastructure items such as water and waste treatment.
Reply to this
Sec. 70-4. Exemption from municipal utility taxes for businesses within enterprize zones.
(a) Fixed location businesses within the Taylor County Enterprise Zone be exempted from current and future municipal taxes on electrical service.
(b) Qualified businesses shall receive an exemption equal to 50 or 100 percent of sales tax charged on electricity as stated in F.S. § 212.08(15) and F.S. § 166.231(8) for a period of five years from the date of the passage of Ord. No. 2006-18, passed on Nov. 28, 2006.
(Ord. No. 2006-18, §§ 1, 2, 11-28-2006)
Reply to this
It is my understanding that this only applies to a county enterprise zone when a city/county own their own utilities such as Tallahassee and/or Orlando. Check with Clay Olson at the County Extension office, he has been the Taylor County Enterprise Zone Development Agency primary cintact for some time and would be able to explain this exemption in detail. Clay would also be able to explain the other benefits of the Enterprise Zone to you as well. The Enterprise Zone is an example of one of the things the Chamber and TCDA used to do for the business community and community at large, before both organizations became event planners and political organizations.
Reply to this
Ex Taylor County Commissioner promoting his employer interest or representing the county?. Now aren’t we all surprised to find out his true business as if we could not guess his true motivation? Just trying to keep a job?
The following is excerpts from testimony before Public Service Commission given freely in Public Hearing
MR. BETHEA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and
Commissioners. We appreciate this opportunity that we
can come here and present.
Just to give you a little background on
myself, I've been in the energy business my whole career
And I have worked in three of the
renewable facilities in the State of Florida, managed
one of them for a number of years in the production of
electricity and energy. So that's my background.
Buckeye, we're in Perry, and we're a pulp
mill, and we operate a cogeneration facility currently.
We do agree with diversify Florida's electrical
generation fuels to reduce greenhouse gases. We agree
that increasing the amount of electricity generated from
renewable resources is a good thing. And we also agree
with using more the efficient technologies that require
less biomass per megawatt generated. We think that's
very key, and we'll show that in this presentation. And
we also think that utilizing and managing Florida's
natural resources in a sustainable manner -- and that's
very key in this presentation. We've been managing
those resources for 50 years, and as we go through the
presentation, we'll share some of that.
Does this help to explain electricity ordinance in Taylor County Municipal Code? DUH
Reply to this
From http://www.floridaenterprisezone.com/PageView.asp?PageType=R&edit_id=1 , An Enterprise Zone is a specific geographic area targeted for economic revitalizing. Enterprise Zones encourage economic growth and investment in distressed areas by offering tax advantages and incentives to businesses locating within the zone boundaries.
The Florida Enterprise Zone Program offers various tax incentives to businesses located within the designated enterprise zones. In addition, local governments may also offer their own incentives.
See website for specific information on incentives. Given the state of the local and regional economy; You would think that between the local Enterprise Zone Development Agency, TCDA and the Shamber of Commerce that someone would be promoting such incentives available to retain and create jobs and apply appropriate incentives to individuals.
Reply to this