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Neighbors press city on tax-exempt Stetson parcels, cite multimillion-dollar assessed value
Summary
At a Gulfport town hall residents raised numbers showing Stetson University owns dozens of parcels in the neighborhood, most tax-exempt, and questioned what the community receives in return; city officials said tax exemptions for qualifying schools are set by state statute and discussed services the university provides.
A resident at a Gulfport Ward 4 town hall presented figures intended to quantify the fiscal impact of institutional property ownership in the neighborhood, prompting questions about property-tax exemptions and what the community receives in exchange.
"Stetson now owns 57 parcels in in this area. 45 of them are exempt from taxes. Um, the assessed value of those is approximately $45 million," the resident said, and added that the campus paid about $21,000 in property taxes last year. The same speaker offered a long-term estimate, saying that, when adjusted to current dollars from 1975, the university had saved approximately $19 million in taxes under that calculation.
City Manager Jim O’Reilly and other officials responded by noting the legal framework. Officials said state statute governs property-tax exemptions for educational institutions and that exemptions are not necessarily inconsistent with the university’s provision of services. "Schools don't have to pay any property tax even if they're private," an official said during the conversation, explaining the statutory basis for exemptions and the distinction between tax classification and regulatory zoning.
Neighbors asked what the city receives in return and whether institutions can be asked to contribute by agreement. Some residents suggested a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) as one voluntary option to explore. Officials said development agreements can be used to secure community benefits — for example, land for parks or off-site improvements — but added that certain statutory constraints limit what cities can require.
The town hall did not include a formal verification of the resident’s calculations. City staff encouraged residents to raise documentary questions formally so staff can follow up and verify property-appraiser data and tax records. The assertion about cumulative tax savings was left unconfirmed in the meeting record.
Residents were advised they may raise fiscal and service concerns at future public hearings if a rezoning or major development is proposed, and to request staff follow-ups for numerical verification.
