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Hernando County VAB raises filing fee to $50, keeps portability petitions at $15
Summary
The Hernando County Value Adjustment Board approved a resolution to increase the VAB filing fee from $15 to $50 per petition, except for portability petitions which remain $15. The board voted 4-0 after a debate about deterrence of frivolous filings and the effect on small taxpayers.
The Hernando County Value Adjustment Board on Aug. 7 voted to raise the board’s petition filing fee to $50 per petition, with an exception preserving a $15 fee for homestead portability petitions. The motion, made by School Board Member Mark Johnson and seconded by Mr. Biesecker, passed 4-0.
Board legal counsel Holly E. Cosby told the board the change is permitted under recent state law and said the higher fee would help offset the VAB’s operating costs and discourage frivolous filings. “It would be my recommendation to adopt that today,” Cosby said.
Cosby explained the fee increase aligns with recent legislative authority allowing VABs to charge up to $50 for most petitions while maintaining a lower fee for portability cases. She said the county and the school board typically share the VAB’s operating costs and that the higher fee would reduce the amount each governing body must subsidize.
During discussion, some board members expressed concern about the effect on low-income or elderly petitioners if they prevail. School Board Member Mark Johnson said he did not want the fee to deter a legitimate challenge or to burden a homeowner who ultimately wins relief. Commissioner John Locko suggested the board could seek a future legislative fix to refund fees when petitioners prevail, but Cosby said the board’s current authority does not allow that change.
The motion as stated preserved the existing $15 filing fee for portability petitions; all other petition types will be charged $50 under the resolution approved by the board.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to raise filing fee to $50 per petition (portability exceptions at $15): Moved by Mark Johnson; seconded by Mr. Biesecker. Vote: yes 4, no 0, abstain 0 — approved. - Other procedural votes taken at the meeting (agenda, minutes, ratification of counsel, magistrate appointments, adoption of local forms and procedures) were unanimously approved (recorded as 4-0 votes during the organizational meeting).
