SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Property taxes continue to be a discussion across Florida, as talks in Tallahassee focus on possible reforms. Friday, the role property taxes play in local government was also a hot topic at Seminole County’s annual State of the County address.
“Some of you came to the State of the County today to understand how your tax dollars are being spent, because we certainly talked about that a lot this last year,” said Chairman Andria Herr. “And you want to be sure that sound financial decisions are being made on your behalf.”
Since June, News 6 has been reporting on a 0.5 millage increase included in the county’s $1.2 billion FY25-26 budget. This year’s budget also included revenue adjustments on the gas and utility taxes:
- An increase of the Local Option Gas Tax from 6 cents to 11 cents per gallon
- An increase to the Utility Services Tax in unincorporated areas, applied to electricity, natural gas, and water services
“We made careful adjustments to ensure that essential services remain reliable and sustainable, including modest updates to local taxes that had not been touched in 16 years,” Herr said. “These adjustments were spread across multiple revenue sources to avoid placing the burden solely on property owners.”
[BELOW: Seminole County commissioners OK property tax hike]
The 0.5 millage increase brings Seminole County to 15.3177 for FY25-26, which is still lower than most surrounding counties:
Lake: 15.8028
Volusia: 17.9860
Orang: 21.3187
Brevard: 14.7030
“Independent data shows from fiscal year 2025 that we rank in the lower third of the state’s 67 counties for property millage,” said Herr. “We continue to rank below the state average and many neighboring counties.”
Herr said Seminole County strives to ask for less, and deliver more.
Most of the money the county collects from property taxes is invested into public safety, such as law enforcement, fire rescue, and emergency medical services. 41 cents of every dollar supports law and enforcement and the jail, according to the county. 31 cents supports fire rescue and EMS. 10 cents supports transportation. 5 cents supports parks and libraries, And, 13 cents supports Courts and other county services.
“Your taxes support the essential day to day guarantees we rarely talk about until something goes wrong. Your trash being picked up, clean water coming out of your faucet, safe, pothole free roads,” said Herr. ‘These are the quiet guarantees that local government makes to you every day that make our community come to life."
Herr also addressed ongoing discussions in Tallahassee that may impact how local governments are funded. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a vocal proponent of reducing property taxes in Florida.
“If property taxes were to be eliminated or even significantly reduced, and funding instead flowed through the state, Seminole County could become a donor county, sending dollars to Tallahassee with no direct say in how or when those funds come back home,” said Herr. “That could mean fewer decisions made locally, with potentially less control over how your tax dollars are used in your community.”
Friday’s State of the County address also mentioned milestones for Seminole County, including the launch of a brand new public transportation system “SCOUT," and the creation of the Seminole County Tourism Improvement District, which is designed to boost revenue for the county’s sports tourism industry. The TID is funded by the hoteliers, not the taxpayers. Larger hotels tack on an extra fee for each room for each night.
[BELOW: Seminole County’s SCOUT rideshare service updates cancellation policy]
The Boombah Sports Complex near Sanford’s Airport brings in millions of dollars in revenue every year when players and families pack the facility for tournaments. All of those people end up staying in and spending money in Seminole County.
County leaders hope an indoor sports facility will be a “Boombah 2.0.” Data presented to the Board has shown the projected economic impact could double revenue in the coming years and by year 5 it could bring in more than $34 million dollars from out-of-county visitors.
The money generated from the TID would pay for the indoor sports facility near Cameron Avenue and Lake Mary Boulevard, where existing soccer fields are at Moore’s Station. The Board recently discussed plans for the future facility at their last meeting in February, and will continue planning at a retreat in March.
“Seminole County is proud to be the first countywide TID in the state of Florida, made possible by the local hoteliers who chose to invest in themselves and in our community by taxing their own industry to help us fund a new indoor sports complex for our community,” said Herr.