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Hardee County property appraiser: tax roll nears $3 billion; mining and utilities dominate tangible roll
Summary
Property Appraiser Kathy Crawford told the Hardee County Board of County Commissioners that the 2025 tax roll is just under $3 billion, with tangible personal property accounting for about 40% of the base and mining/utilities making up the bulk of that category — a vulnerability if state law eliminates tangible taxes.
Kathy Crawford, Hardee County Property Appraiser, told the county commissioners on Aug. 21 that the 2025 county tax roll is just under $3 billion, with roughly $1.788 billion in real property and about $1.189 billion in tangible personal property.
Crawford said tangible personal property accounts for about 40% of Hardee County’s tax base, a much higher share than the statewide median and largely driven by mining and utility equipment. “Eighty‑three percent of the tangible roll is made up of mining and utility equipment,” she said, and noted that those sectors together with single‑family homes represent nearly half of the county’s total tax base.
She warned that several proposals under discussion at the state level — including measures that would reduce or eliminate tangible personal property taxes or exempt agricultural equipment — could materially lower the county’s taxable base. Crawford estimated that eliminating tangible taxes on agricultural equipment would reduce Hardee County’s tax base by about $46 million; she said the county is classified as a “fiscally constrained” county and would be eligible for state offset payments if the legislature provides them.
Crawford also reviewed year‑over‑year growth: the overall roll increased 10.85% from the prior year, driven by a 14.93% rise on the real property side and a 5.24% increase on the tangible side. She summarized the effect of Amendment 5 (2024), which adjusted the second homestead exemption by CPI; that change reduced the roll by a little over $2 million and affects about 4,549 properties, roughly 62% of those eligible for the adjustment.
The property appraiser briefed commissioners on millage scenarios. The board has previously set an 8.395 millage; staff provided examples comparing that rate with an 8.0192 rollback rate and illustrated taxpayer impacts at different valuation levels. Crawford emphasized the board’s role as the taxing authority and said the appraiser’s office provides value information without considering tax policy.
Commissioners asked for last year’s total for comparison, which Crawford confirmed as $2,686,000,000. She concluded by urging residents to review their TRIM notices and demonstrating a QR code that links taxpayers to parcel‑level assessment information.
The presentation was intended to inform the board’s upcoming public hearings and millage decisions; no millage action was taken at the Aug. 21 meeting.
