TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Although Leon County and the City of Tallahassee millage rates remain the same for the proposed 2026 budgets, residents may see a slightly higher tax bill due to rising property values.
- Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi says property values for taxable properties rose 7.8% since last year, but it doesn't necessarily mean individual home values increased that much.
- Rollbacks can help lower tax bills since it allows local governments to lower the millage rate to offset higher property values, but it's up to the city and county to decide.
- Watch the video to see why property values are rising and what it could mean for you come tax season.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Leon County’s and the City of Tallahassee’s proposed budgets for 2026 keeps millage rates the same.
But that doesn’t mean neighbors won’t pay more in property taxes.
“They could, and they probably will, like I’m explaining, value goes up regularly,” Leon County Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi said.
Recent preliminary tax rolls show taxable property values rose nearly 7.8% in the county since last year.
Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi says the increase is mainly caused by new construction and renovations.
But it doesn’t mean people’s properties are going up by that rate.
“When people see those kind of numbers, they tend to assume that their price is going to go up by the same proportion, and that is not true,” he said.
ABC 27’s Brieanna Smith talked to northeast neighbor David West.
He says his tax bill and home value goes up every year.
“So, as it is now, I’m paying close to $8,000 a year…I don't like spending that much money,” West said.
But he’s mainly concerned for neighbors who can’t afford the rise each year
“I think it would be a great idea not to get rid of property taxes, but to limit the number of years that you pay for property taxes for a specific property,” he said.
One way to reduce bills, Akinyemi says, is through rollbacks where local governments can lower the millage rate to offset higher property values.
That helps taxpayers avoid large increases in their tax bills.
“We're going to give you what the value is. We're not going to suppress the value just because we don't want people to pay more. We can't do that,” Akinyemi said.
But Akinyemi says it’s up to city and county leaders to decide.
Other ways you can save on your tax bill is by applying for a homestead exemption.
That can lower the taxable value of property.
The deadline to apply is March 1 to qualify for next year.
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