Dan Sowell, CFABay County

Property Appraiser

Bay County Property Appraiser Contact Information

Main Office650 Mulberry Avenue

Panama City, FL 32401(850)784-4095

Beach Branch Lynn Haven Branch301 Richard Jackson Blvd. 732 Ohio AvenuePanama City Beach, FL 32407 Lynn Haven, FL 32444 (850)236-3234 (850)265-4364

baypa.net

FUN FACTS

Number of Properties: 112,674 (73% SFR)Condominiums: 19,897 Units by year: 2004-11769; 2005-13,173; 2006-13,433; 2007-16,390 Single Family Home Parcels: 52,709Homes Built Before 1940 1,696Properties with Homestead Exemption 40,965HX’s are 31% of total parcels and 20% of taxable valueLow Income Senior’s Exemption 2,671Swimming Pools 9,032Golf Courses 8Highest Price Paid for a Single Family Home in 2008 2,300,000New Houses Built in the Last 5 Years:

Number of parcels and acreage with agricultural classification 2003 1537 329,000 acres 2009 1125 262,000 acres

2004 11902008 315

Responsibilities of the Property Appraiser

•To locate, identify, and accurately appraise all properties subject to ad valorem taxes.•To maintain property value roll equity and fairness.•To process allowable exemptions.

Taxing Authorities

The Property Appraiser has NO jurisdiction or responsibility for district budgets, tax rates, special assessments, or determining the amount of taxes you pay. These matters are handled by the various taxing authorities; i.e. the county government, city government, school board and other taxing districts.

Bay County Real Property Values$ in Billions

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

12000000

14000000

16000000

18000000

2006 2007 2008 2009

16,678,030 17,138,644 17,059,205 15,257,553

Green = New Construction

Taxa

ble

Valu

e fo

r O

pera

ting

Mill

age

510,363

Bay County Tax Roll

Taxable ValueTaxing Authority 2008 2nd Roll 2009 Preliminary Difference % Difference

Bay County $17,856,683,797 $16,306,460,867 -$1,550,222,930 -8.68%Fire $7,327,357,433 $6,671,902,208 -$655,455,225 -8.95%County Mosquito $6,902,231,972 $6,500,934,394 -$401,297,578 -5.81%Callaway $564,033,998 $550,537,713 -$13,496,285 -2.39%DIB $74,195,168 $68,311,279 -$5,883,889 -7.93%School DIS/RLE $18,931,534,644 $17,504,689,696 -$1,426,844,948 -7.54%Beach Mosquito $10,072,202,904 $8,785,725,881 -$1,286,477,023 -12.77%Lynn Haven $1,031,040,472 $1,054,729,956 $23,689,484 2.30%Mexico Beach $598,189,679 $483,325,690 -$114,863,989 -19.20%Parker $218,777,658 $218,363,306 -$414,352 -0.19%Panama City Beach $4,823,181,344 $4,311,854,933 -$511,326,411 -10.60%Panama City $2,368,359,621 $2,280,556,114 -$87,803,507 -3.71%Springfield $218,968,124 $218,810,213 -$157,911 -0.07%NWFWMD $18,190,151,100 $16,623,130,252 -$1,567,020,848 -8.61%

HOW ARE YOUR TAXES CALCULATED WHEN APPLYING THE 10% NON-HOMESTEAD CAP?

THE 10% NON-HOMESTEAD ASSESSMENT CAP ONLY APPLIES TO THE NON-SCHOOL PORTION OF YOUR TAX BILL. THEREFORE, THE SCHOOL PORTION OF YOUR TAX BILL IS CALCULATED ON THE FULL MARKET VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY.EXAMPLE: A NON-HOMESTEAD PARCEL IN PANAMA CITY HAD A 2008 ASSESSMENT OF $300,000. IN 2009 THE MARKET INDICATED AN ASSESSMENT OF $400,000. PANAMA CITY’S 2008 MILLAGE RATE WAS 14.4598.• STEP 1: $400,000 X 6.763 (2008 BAY DISTRICT SCHOOL’S MILLAGE RATE) = $2705.20• STEP 2: $300,000 PLUS 10% = $330,000• STEP 3: $330,000 X 7.6968 (NON-SCHOOL MILLAGE RATES) = $2539.94TOTAL TAXES OF $5245.14IF THE 10% NON-HOMESTEAD ASSESSMENT CAP WAS NOT IN EFFECT, YOUR TAXES WOULD BE $5783.92THE 10% CAP SAVES YOU $538.78 IN THIS EXAMPLE.

Amendment One Provisions$50,000 Homestead Exemption

Portability implemented

10% cap on non-homesteaded

$25,000 Tangible Personal Property Exemption

Help for fiscally constrained counties

OTHER EXEMPTIONS

Seniors $50,000

Disabled $500

Widowed $500

VeteransVeterans %Disability

T&P (sc/nsc)

$5,000% of Combat

Disability

100% of Tax. Value

2009 LEGISTLATION RESULTS

 Constitutional Amendments

• Deployed Military Property Tax Exemption – CS/HJR 833 (adopted).The legislature passed a resolution providing that deployed military personnel receiving homestead exemption will receive an additional percentage exemption equal to the number of days that they are deployed during a calendar year divided by 365. The measure will appear on the ballot in 2010. If passed, the exemption will be effective for the 2011 tax year.

 

• First-time Homebuyer Exemption, 10% to 5% Assessment Cap – SJR 532 (adopted). The legislature also passed a resolution providing for a First-time Homebuyer’s exemption and reducing the current 10 percent assessment cap to 5 percent for non-homestead properties. The exemption will apply to first-time homebuyers, which are defined as individuals that have not purchased a home in the past 8 years. The exemption will be 25 percent of the assessed value but it cannot exceed $100,000. The exemption is reduced by 5 percent each year until it disappears. The measure will appear on the ballot in 2010. If passed, the exemption and assessment cap will be effective for the 2011 tax year. The exemption, however, will apply to a home purchased during 2010.

• Recapture – HJR 1087; SJR 1164 (failed).Several bills were filed amending either the constitution or section 193.155 to eliminate the recapture of the Save Our Homes (SOH) assessment differential in years where the just value decreased. While HJR 1087 passed the House committees and was placed on the calendar, none of the other bills were voted out of the referenced committees. Thus, the resolutions were not passed.

OTHER LEGISTLATIVE ACTIONS

• 1.35% Limitation on Aggregate Ad Valorem Taxes on Real Property – SJR 738; HJR 385 (failed).This constitutional amendment limited the total aggregate ad valorem taxes levied by counties, municipalities, school districts and special districts on any parcel of real property to 1.35% of the highest taxable value of the property. It required the legislature to provide by general law for distribution of revenues collected on parcels that exceed the 1.35% limitation and applies the limitation to all property except for ad valorem taxes levied for the payment of local bonds issued to finance or refinance capital projects authorized by law when approved by a vote of the electors or to refund outstanding bonds, or levied for periods not longer than two years when authorized by a vote of the electors.

• TABOR/Government Revenues/Voter Approval – SJR 1906; HJR 1263 (failed). The resolutions regarding TABOR, i.e., taxpayer bill of rights, limited the growth of local governments from the 2010-2011 fiscal year to the combined rate of inflation and population change in subsequent years absent a vote of the electors. These resolutions did not pass.

• Property Tax Discount/Disabled Veterans – SJR 1550; HJR 1155 (failed).

Several years ago, disabled veterans were provided a discount from property taxes equal to the percentage of their disability if they were a Florida resident at the time they entered the service. This amendment removed the requirement that the disabled veteran be a Florida resident at the time he or she entered the service. These resolutions did not pass.

2009 News for Bay County Taxpayers• Homesteaded properties assessments will only rise .10 of 1%

• Median Condominium Sale Prices are down 15% - 20%; we are estimating a 20% reduction in overall condo values; or about $800 million from 2008

• Residential Resort Property Values are down 20% - 25%and as much as 40% in some areas (varies by area)

• Gulf front per front foot value is down from $18,000 to $13,030

• $500 Million in New Taxable Construction ($287 million from condos/1389 units/7 projects)

• County-wide average value down approximately 9% to date • Greater consideration than ever given to foreclosures and auction sales in our assessment

analysis

• Lynn Haven office will close on September 30, 2009 due to budget issues and limited use

Bay County Property Appraiser’sMajor Objectives for 2009

• Sponsor Roundtables With Area Business, Governmental and Educational Leaders

• Increase Community Awareness of Available Exemptions and make Exemption Filing Even Easier

• Have our office become more involved in community activities through the addition of a Community Affairs Director

• Need a speaker-- call Cindy Messer @ 784-4095• Seek Additional Property Tax Relief for the Widowed and Disabled• Enhance Our Website with More Features and Information • Continue Aggressive Homestead Exemption Fraud Program, which

has added $4.6 million of taxable value to tax roll • Continue to Assess Property at the lowest value possible• Seek approval to e-mail TRIM notices beginning in 2010

CALENDAR OF EVENTS• July 10, 2009 – Values provided to taxing authorities

• Aug 21, 2009—Schedule for mailing TRIMs

• Sep 15, 2009 –Last day to file petitions*

• Sep 28-Oct 2 – We’ll be moving to 860 W. 11th St.

• Nov 1, 2009----Tax bills mailed

• *Everyone is encouraged to call, visit or email our office if they have questions regarding their assessment

We are here to help!Please contact our office at

(850)784-4095 if we can assist in any way.

We support our troops!