The Levy County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt a millage rate of 8.75 mills for the coming fiscal year, which represents an increase from 8.25 in 2024-25. Commissioners unanimously approved the $197.7 million budget.
The initial proposed rate of 9.00 mills raised concerns among taxpayers at a special hearing of the Levy County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 9.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, the Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice is mailed before Aug. 25 each year and reflects the highest possible proposed rate.
“For a lot of people, an additional two to three hundred dollars, which, I think it averages out to at the end of it, means that maybe somebody can’t have Christmas, they can’t go visit their families, they can’t afford their hospital bills,” said Stacey Peters, a Levy County resident, at the Sept. 9 special hearing.
The Levy County Board of County Commissioners lowered the proposed millage rate for the 2025-2026 budget from 9.00 mills to 8.75 mills at a budget workshop meeting on Sept. 2. This is a 12.13% increase over the rollback rate, which is the rate needed to generate the same revenue as the previous year.
“The board has chosen to not go to the highest rate, because we know that everyone has been hit with inflation,” said Desiree Mills, chair of the Levy County Board of Commissioners, at the Sept. 9 meeting.
The millage is the tax rate levied per $1,000 of taxable property value. That value is multiplied by the millage rate to determine the tax owed. In addition to the county, other taxing authorities may impose separate millage rates.
Levy County’s millage rate had remained steady over the past five years, until it was decreased in 2024-2025 from 9.00 mills to 8.25 mills.
Mills cited several reasons for the millage rate increase, including rising costs in public safety services, cost of living increases, health insurance increases due to inflation and maintaining adequate reserves set forth by the county board. These are to ensure financial stability and emergency preparedness.
“We’re all family, okay, so y’all’s job is to protect and there’s an awful lot of people that this is going to hit extremely hard,” Peters said.
Other areas of public concern included the increase in the EMS special assessment tax from $154 to $200 and fire services from $129 to $250.
“The total increase was approximately $167 overall and that’s in seven years.” commissioner Johnny Hiers said.
However, many residents expressed frustration at the sudden jump, advocating for gradual increases over the next several years to ease the financial burden.
“If you all haven’t increased these rates in seven years, that's not our fault,” Edward Friend said during the Sept. 9 hearing.
Residents also raised concerns about the impact on retired residents who live on fixed incomes and who may struggle to adjust to the increased costs.
“I mean, it looks like we got hit from every angle,” Linwood Shouse, a Levy County resident said.